AS THE first female to play nasty Neverland villain Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the King’s, Hannah Jarrett-Scott is having a ball.
“I am fresh from a swordfight,” she says, announces with relish, at the start of our chat.
“I love panto. It’s so camp. This costume is just amazing.”
She grins. “I don’t want to take it off.”
Hannah, best known for stage and screen roles in the likes of Two Doors Down and Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) is making her King’s panto debut in this year’s spectacular Christmas show, but her love of the artform stretches back to her childhood.
“I went to the Brunton a lot when I was a child, because I’m from Edinburgh,” she explains, adding a seasonally-appropriate “boooo”, with a laugh.
“My mum [actor Isabella Jarrett] played the baddie a lot, so we’d go and see her.
“When I moved to Glasgow, I loved going to the King’s and the Tron and when I was in Pride and Prejudice (*sort of) at the King’s I remember thinking wow, it would be so brilliant to be in the panto here.”
Her first panto memory was watching her mum at the King’s in Edinburgh.
“I must have been about four, really tiny, and we were in the upper circle,” she recalls.
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“My mum was playing Dandini in Cinderella. I remember peeking down at the stage and seeing these amazing legs, coming on to the stage, in fantastic panto boots, and thinking - wow, it’s my mum.”
She adds, smiling: “So when I got to finally pull on Captain Hook’s boots for the first time, it was a proper moment. I was thinking, I’ve finally done it….”
Glowing reviews for Hannah’s glamorous, sinisterly swashbuckling Hook have been tumbling in.
“It’s really exciting to be the first woman to play Hook, I love playing a baddie,” she says.
“Sometimes panto villains don’t have huge roles, but Hook is an integral part of the story so it’s fun to play and to work alongside absolute comic geniuses like Elaine C Smith and Johnny Mac.
“I am learning every day. Everyone has been so welcoming, I was taken into the fold right away.”
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Hannah, who lives on the Southside, admits she was nervous on her first day at rehearsals.
“It always feels a bit strange because the audience are not there and they are such an important part of a panto,” she explains. “But once you get into the theatre and the cheering and booing starts, it all clicks into place.
“Panto is an amazing artform and the King’s Theatre is such an iconic venue. It’s a real honour to be in the show this year, with so many absolute comic legends.”
Working with Elaine and Johnny in the panto has been eye-opening, says Hannah with a laugh.
“They are so good at what they do, I just enjoy sitting and watching them, never mind doing my bit,” she adds, smiling.
“It’s a real comic craft and Johnny – he makes it look effortless, he does it with such pace and wit, and what I love is that he just wants to make the kids laugh.”
Elaine has become something of a mentor to Hannah, she explains.
“Elaine means a lot to me,” she nods. “I respect her as a comic actor, and she is hugely supportive of young, funny women.
“I really appreciate that because it can be hard to get a chance, especially on a stage like this.”
She adds, with a grin: “She also told me that Glasgow audiences will tell you if you’re funny, rather than you telling them.
“That feels like a very good piece of panto advice to keep in mind…”
Peter Pan runs until January 5 at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow.
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