The age-old battle between good and evil will be fought out on stage at the Theatre Royal Bath this Christmas in the traditional family pantomime Sleeping Beauty.

In the good fairy corner will be popular actress and regular visitor to the Theatre Royal, Liza Goddard, while the evil fairy will be played by Gemma Bissix from Hollyoaks and EastEnders who won the Villian of the Year crown at the 2007 British Soap Awards.

Gemma has promised to be the most evil fairy panto-goers have ever seen.

But she says: "Although I want the children to boo for all they are worth when I come on stage I want them to secretly like me. I made friends with the little dancers before I put on my costume so they wouldn't hate me. Now they all say 'Aren't you good at being bad?'

Although Gemma is best known for playing baddies, she has just finished touring in a play where she was a very good person thought murdered just as the play came to an end.

Liza will be doing her best to mitigate the bad spell as the panto's Good Fairy.

Like any actress she likes a big entrance and they don't come much more dramatic than flying on to the stage. "The secret of flying on stage." she reveals, "is padded cycling shorts. Then the wires don't cut in."

Joining Liza and Gemma to bring a bit of lighthearted panto fun to the proceedings will be Jon Monie, Chris Harris as Nurse Nelly, Tom Owen from TV's Last of the Summer Wine and dancers from Bath's Dorothy Colborn School.

The show opens tonight and runs until Sunday, January 24.

The new production features lavish sets, beautiful costumes and dazzling special effects including flying sequences. Packed with comedy, slapstick, singing, dancing and plenty of audience participation, Sleeping Beauty is guaranteed to entertain you whatever your age.

Once again the man behind this year's pantomime is panto dame extraordinaire Chris Harris. It's his first ever production of Sleeping Beauty. "It's not often done probably beause the baddie is a girl which is unusual," he says .

"But we are lucky with Gemma as the Bad Fairy."

Chris, actor, writer and director, has performed in pantomimes across the South West for more than 30 years. He has toured to 58 countries with his six one-man shows, including Ally Sloper's Half Holiday and Kemp's Jig.

Sleeping Beauty opens at the Theatre Royal Bath today and runs until Sunday January 24. Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal Bath box office on 01225 448844 or visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk.

Christopher Hansford