A debut in Chekov and a wedding lie ahead for ex-EastEnder and all-singing, all-dancing actress Jill Halfpenny. But, as she tells VIV HARDWICK, headlining this year's Newcastle Theatre Royal will keep her on her toes.

WITH filming over on the next series of the BBC1 school drama Waterloo Road, Jill Halfpenny is now looking forward to wedding bells and the challenge of Chekov as she settles into the role of Mother Nature for Jack And the Beanstalk.

She says of starring in her home town area of Tyneside at Newcastle's Theatre Royal: "It's a really technical show and it's going to be quite a feast for the eyes.

Obviously, everybody is going to be waiting for the giant and the beanstalk and it's pretty spectacular where the beanstalk comes from and watching it grow is going to be fairly amazing, so please come along. I really think this panto will be a good 'un."

As Mother Nature she's keen to enjoy the role of "the goodie" and says: "Basically you have a goodie and a baddie and it doesn't matter what names they go by. I'm Mother Nature and I'm there to save Jack and help him live out his dreams; go up to the castle and fight the giant and keep the story moving along.

I'm the instigator for things to happen."

Despite all the attention she's earned in recent years as a dance champion in BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing and taking the lead role of Roxie Hart in West End musical Chicago, Halfpenny still sees herself as an actress rather than a performer.

"The role I have means acting, singing and dancing, it's just something I have to do and I don't break it down like that. I don't come to this job and say right I'm doing a pantomime now, that means I have to be different'. No I'm still an actress and I'm going to act the role to my best ability. I never really view pantos as different to any other job. I want to do the best I can."

And the pressure on her as the headline act for Newcastle's A-list venue? "My name's on the top of the poster, so yes, there's a certain amount of responsibility and I feel I want the show to be good. But I have complete and utter faith in Michael (Harrison) the director and I also have complete faith in the cast. I'm not just saying this but we have got a fantastic cast and I feel really privileged to be working with them all," she explains.

Halfpenny enjoys the Geordie banter involved in the rehearsal stage which provides a lot of the injokes unleashed on North-East audiences. This year Jack's cow is called Shearer, as a mark of respect to Newcastle United's recentlyretired centre forward.

"One of the reasons people like coming are the references to Tyneside - the place where the panto is set this year is Tiddling-onthe- Tyne. It's definitely part of the fun," she says.

FELLOW cast member Craig Conway, who plays giant's henchman Fleshcreep, proposed to Halfpenny during her Newcastle panto debut last year.

The couple have tried to keep the wedding plans on Tyneside as lowprofile as possible but are allowing themselves some breathing space after the panto run ends in January to complete arrangements.

"We're really enjoying organising it but I'm not saying whether it's going to be in Gateshead (where she was born) or Newcastle. It's going to be just family and friends and it's going to be a great day. It's our day and we're really excited," she says, adding that it was "each to their own" about celebrities who allow their weddings to be featured in magazines like OK and Hello.

"It's not what we want to do. I think media interest is only a problem if you make it a problem and we're happy with the way things are going."

Halfpenny's role of teacher Izzie Redpath in the TV drama series Waterloo Road has caught the eye of casting directors. But her next project is a totally different challenge as she takes on her first serious theatre role in Chekov's Uncle Vanya at Birmingham Repertory Theatre in March.

Artistic director of BRT, Rachel Kavanaugh, says: "Jill really wanted to get her teeth into a piece of serious drama following Chicago and she is perfect for the part of Sonya."

Halfpenny comments: "I'm open to everything and anything. I just wanted to do some theatre and that came my way and it seemed like a great piece to do. It doesn't feel like a departure, it just feels like going back to the theatre, which is what I did last year anyway. I love the variety of this profession and I've always said to my agent, the more different things you can throw at me, the better, because I don't want to get bored or disillusioned by it all.

I think keeping moving does keep me really happy."

* Jack And the Beanstalk runs until January 20. Box Office: 0870- 905-5060.