If you were working a six-day week and had your last free day until January, how would you spend it?

You'd do the sane thing and get up early, drive to Stirling and watch a panto at 10am wouldn't you? Great. Glad we're in agreement.

That is exactly what I did. Now, can we just clarify that yes, I am here with more panto chat again but please don't judge me too harshly - it's pretty much all consuming right now and my usual boozehound antics shall resume in due course.

So, last free morning till January and I was up with the larks to attend The Little Mermaid at the Macrobert theatre in Stirling. My fellow nutters were my cast mate, Michele Gallagher and my pal Jono. We just can't get enough panto in our lives.

That's not exactly true, in actual fact, we were out to support our pals in the show. Johnny McKnight is Scotland's panto powerhouse - he writes, directs and glans up as dame all in the one show. I worked with Johnny years ago at the Macrobert in my Prince Charming days (Don't laugh. I said don't laugh.)

He has gone from strength to strength every year since and is sensational; it takes a brave man to come out into the audience and full on winch a male teacher and random boys in the audience. The weans love it and the lassies are probably jealous. The Little Mermaid isn't a show you'd automatically choose for a panto, but it is wonderful.

Dawn Sievewright and Robbie Jack whizz about that stage on roller skates serving us some mermaid realness. I'm sure the youth of today have a name for them, but to me they are roller skate trainers and combined with wafty underwater arm movements (I believe that's the technical term) I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

Cracking script with lots of funny modern references, Helen Ward McAlpine is worth the journey alone - the lassie is hilarious as the evil seahorse/henchman/woman/thing. Congratulations on a belter of a show guys, it was lovely to sit back, eat too many sweeties and boo along with the school kids.

Glasgow Times:

This year we have a record number of River City cast members out doing panto. As you know, we are on a filming break and it means most folk are free to go onto another job.

I've got Stephen Purdon (Wee Bob) and Leah MacRae (Ellie) with me at the Pavilion, Gerard Miller (Patrick) is on at the Websters Theatre in Glasgow, Keira Lucchesi (Stella) is at the Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock with my good pals Ryan Fletcher and Hannah Donaldson.

The bold Gayle Telfer Stevens (Caitlin) is donning a tiara twice daily as the fairy at the Palace Theatre in Kilmarnock, you should see us on the FaceTime between shows - we look like extras from a distorted Disney film.

We've got a few panto pals further afield too.

Jordan Young (Alex) and Scott Fletcher (Angus) are working together at His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen, Paul James Corrigan (Stevie) is at the Kings in Edinburgh and Carmen Pieraccini (Kelly-Marie) is on at the Webster Memorial Theatre in Arbroath.

We are that busy!

I think that between us all, we've got the whole country pretty much covered. You'll certainly not be stuck for a River City selfie this Christmas folks.

Panto is the only chance most of us get to do live theatre each year because filming takes up so much of our time, so I know I can speak for all of us and say that it's a total hoot.

We get to be larger than life, sing songs and dance for oor supper and nothing beats that audience interaction. It's pure dead magic, so it is.