Steve Pratt discovers that Celia Adams has a tall story to tell about becoming a baddie in Christmas shows

CELIA ADAMS became interested in acting as a schoolgirl. Being in school plays was always fun, but studying it was a different matter as drama wasn’t on the curriculum. So young Celia and like-minded friends campaigned for lessons.

They succeeded, although the school careers adviser was less than helpful when young Celia declared she wanted to be an actor. “Don’t be so ridiculous,” came the reply. There was a suggestion that she should go to university to get some sort of back-up, in case acting didn’t work out, but she opted for drama school.

She knew it wasn’t going to be easy with a large proportion of actors being out of work. In fact, the profession is so precarious she’s had to take on other jobs in between acting assignments – everything from nannying, to children’s entertainer, to admin work.

This past year though, she’s been able to say she’s just been an actor. That’s mostly true because she’s been involved in a stage production of Swallows and Amazons, first at Bristol Old Vic followed by a West End season and a UK tour..

One of the touring dates was at West Yorkshire Playhouse, in Leeds, where she now finds herself being nasty as Bad Nanna Sandra in York-based writer Mike Kenny’s take on the Sleeping Beauty story.

Kenny continues an association with director Gail McIntyre on Christmas shows with a twist.

Past collaborations have resulted in fresh takes on Jack And The Beanstalk, Aladdin and Cinderella.

In Sleeping Beauty, a nursery of Nannas are left minding the baby. When Bad Nanna Sandra’s party invitation goes missing, she casts a spell over the princess, which the other nannas soften by sending her to sleep for 100 years.

With her gold trousers and zebra print top, Bad Nanna Sandra will be difficult to miss. “It’s so bright,” says Adams. “I’ve never seen so many colours in one place.”

The evil godmother role follows her turn as a bullying, hot-headed schoolgirl in Swallows And Amazons. “I do usually end up as the nasty one.

I’m quite tall – 5ft 9ins – and I don’t know if that has anything to do with it,” she says. “When Gail cast the play, she hadn’t decided who was going to play which parts, and I said I hope I get the bad one.”

The show is giving her the chance to learn two new instruments, even if she only has three-anda- half weeks to do it. She already plays piano and is learning the accordion and bass guitar for Sleeping Beauty.

All this fitted in well with her hopes. Last Christmas, she decided to follow a drama teacher’s advice to list her ambitions and set out a two or five-year plan. “So I wrote on a piece of paper what I wanted to achieve – get work and learn a new instrument,” she says.

  • Sleeping Beauty: West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, Dec 7-Jan 19. Box Office: 0113-2137273 and wyp.org.uk