HAVING just finished a massive run in Shrek the Musical in the West End, Richard Blackwood did not have to think twice about signing up for panto in Sleeping Beauty at Catford Broadway Theatre.

The comedian, TV presenter, actor and rapper said: “I got approached by the team to do Sleeping Beauty and it was kind of a no-brainer.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun.

“It was a nice and easy transition because I just finished doing Shrek on the West End.

“To be a co-lead in panto means you have officially arrived. When people hear the word panto, they don’t realise how most actors would love to get into panto.

“It’s an honour. To be asked to be a lead in a panto is a huge achievement. It wasn’t something I had to think about.”

Richard, 41, from Clapham played Donkey – the Eddie Murphy role in the successful film series – more than 700 times in the West End and his panto character Muddles is similar, he said.

“I’m the comedy through-line, in the same way Donkey was in Shrek,” he said. “He was the narrator without having that title.

“Muddles is essentially the same character in terms of being the through line and keeping the show upbeat.

“Obviously huge interaction with the audience is important and that was part of the reason why they asked me to be on board; they had seen Shrek and knew my comedy background.”

For Richard, whose career has had more ups and downs that a yo-yo, being asked to do panto felt like recognition of his skills.

He said: “It made me feel like I’ve been doing something right all this time.”

Having recently focussed on musical theatre and having come from a comedy background, Richard is keen to keep his career broad.

He said: “My feeling is I would never turn down any form of musical or panto because it is verification that I am doing it right.

“We live in a country where people think you should only do one thing and be a master of one thing. I believe that I’m in entertainment even though my route in was through stand-up.

“If you look back at some of the greats, British or American, like the Rat Pack who could sing, dance and had comical timing.

“And over here, you had people like Bob Monkhouse and people like that. We’re a generation that has kind of lost that.”

Richard Blackwood stars in Sleeping Beauty at the Broadway Theatre in Catford from December 13 to 31. Go to broadwaytheatre.org.uk