It’s Easter weekend so it must be time for panto!

But don’t worry, there’s nothing fishy going on. Easter panto the Little Mermaid promises to bring plenty of fun and gags for the school holidays.

And leader of the laughs is co-writer and star Tom Swift, the Tunbridge Wells actor behind Wicked Productions.

The show features Tom, his regular partner in comedy crime Ant Payne, and Jimmy Burton Iles, who will be a familiar face to audiences from his time as the Dame in the Hazlitt Theatre’s productions.

Joker Tom said: “The tradition for panto at Easter has been around four or five years, as it’s a fun thing to do for the school holidays, but we don’t go all out with “He’s behind you” and so on – not all the Christmas jokes work at Easter.

"There’s plenty of booing and cheering and all the usual fun of a panto though.”

Asking Ant to join him on stage was an obvious decision for Tom.

“I’ve been working with Ant for about 10 years,” he said.

“We do get on really well. He makes me really laugh on stage which is really nice for the audience. That can be a problem though – we enjoy it a bit too much.

'The point where we’re doing the show doesn’t feel like work, it’s just a laugh'

“He does plays and panto a lot of the time so doesn’t come and work with me most of the year. I want him to stop working for other people and just come and work with me – but I’m still waiting for that to happen. Just me, waiting by the phone for him to call.”

With Jimmy Burton Iles as the Sea Witch, the trio can make quite a group as they are all friends.

“We all get on well. The point where we’re doing the show doesn’t feel like work, it’s just a laugh,” said Tom.

“There is six months of planning beforehand though, when I do work hard.”

Tom has also staged fright nights and an escape room at Dreamland last year. When he finishes this panto run, he will be heading to Spain where Wicked Productions have a wedding business.

THE SHOW

Join the fair Lenor, the Little Mermaid, as she sets out on a quest to find love and legs.

The daughter of King Triton the sea god and one of four sisters, Lenor longs to leave the depths of her sea bed and explore the world beyond. In a desperate bid to win the heart of the handsome Prince Derek, Lenor makes a deadly pact with the Sea Witch Morgana.

Appearing alongside Tom, Ant and Jimmy is Georgina Rowland-Elliott as the Little Mermaid and Robert Pearce as Madonna the Mermaid.

TICKET DETAILS

The Little Mermaid comes to the Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. For tickets at £15 and £13.50 for children visit assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk or call 01892 530613.