'It’s one of the jobs where I try to get into shape': EastEnders' Shane Richie limbers up for panto season in Dartford

The actor-comedian-singer has been on the scene since the late 1980s and has given his all to everything he has done, whether that’s being stealing scenes as Alfie Moon in EastEnders, sketch comedy or lighting up the West End stage.

His Wham! cover for Children in Need even reached number two in the charts in 2003.

And he puts nothing less into his panto performance.

Shane, 51, told Vibe: “It’s one of the very few jobs where I try to get into shape. I start training. It does feel like a marathon because it is two shows a day and we’ve got about 40 shows and two days off.

“I know how people are strapped for cash and I just want them to come along and go ‘we’ve had the best time’. I think that’s really important when you’re paying for a family of four, maybe.”

Shane is playing the title role in Dick Whittington at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford this Christmas and, living nearby, is looking forward to a show closer to home.

He said: “I’ve wanted to do Dartford for a long time because it’s one of the closest theatres to where I live.

“I live about 20-25 minutes away. In the past, I’ve had to drive hours to work and I’ve always made a point of getting home because I don’t like being away for Christmas.

“I’ve not been to Dartford for a long time. My kids are very excited. Also I get the chance to play Dick Whittington again, which gives me a chance to do jokes about being called Dick. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Also it’s 3D. I’ve done 3D panto before but never with Dick Whittington.

“If you’ve never seen one, it is incredible. To see something at the cinema is one thing but I interact with the 3D on stage and it is incredible. Even if you’re not a fan of mine, come and see if for the 3D.”

Shane with Mayor of Dartford, councillor Ian Armitt

Shane is a proud family man and said his ideal Christmas is spent with his children.

He said: “I am a big fan of Christmas. It’s a chance with me to spend some time with my kids. I’ve got five children. The two elder boys are off doing their thing now but my nine, seven and four-year-olds do the panto with me. I rope them in somehow. And they love it.”

The two elder boys ‘off doing their own thing’ are managing to achieve quite some success, too.

His eldest Shane Richie Junior is about to embark on a tour of the musical Last Night a DJ Saved My Life alongside David Hasselhoff, while younger son Jake is the lead singer of pop band Rixton, currently touring with Ed Sheeran, and is engaged to Little Mix star Jesy Nelson.

Dad has been proudly followed his children’s success while having a breathtakingly busy year of his own. Panto represents a welcome change from a year which has included, but is far from limited to: EastEnders, Benidorm, a Jimmy McGovern drama with John Thompson, a BBC documentary on Dad’s Army, the game show and the National Lottery’s Win Your Wish List.

He said: “What panto does to me is enable me to have artistic freedom. The whole point about panto is making it look easy, and it’s not easy. It’s two shows a day and I know how expensive tickets are.”

While the massive number of shows and long run is like a marathon, Shane said the preparation was more of a sprint.

“Panto is a sprint, unlike doing a drama – myself and Jessie (Wallace, who played his on-screen wife Kat in EastEnders) are about to do a tour next year (of Peter James’ The Perfect Murder).

“The rehearsal period for that is quite intense. With panto, you hit the ground running. Thankfully I have done enough to know how they work.

He added: “I’m still writing gags now for it. Also, I try and write gags about what’s happened in the papers that day or that week. There’s many EastEnders’ references, for obvious reasons.”

Shane Richie stars in Dick Whittington at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre from December 12 to January 3. Tickets cost from £10. Go to orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.