Steve Pratt chats to the entertainer who likes to known as Barnaby about his love of pantomime and the success of his son, Barnaby ‘Barney’ Harwood.

FASCINATING if potentially confusing fact time: new Blue Peter presenter Barney Harwood’s real name is Barnaby.

And Barnaby is the stage name used by his entertainer father. Last year, they were in pantomime together, this year they’re miles apart. While Barney is in Manchester, his dad will be treading the boards in Cinderella at Billingham Forum.

Barnaby enjoyed working with his son for the first time in Peter Pan. “It was something we’d wanted to do since he was a kid. It was great, really good fun. We stayed in the same digs and everything so I made sure he was in bed on time.”

While children’s TV presenter Barney was the ever-young Pan, dad Barnaby was comic sailor Smee. “It’s a great part for me,” he says.

Barnaby hasn’t played the North-East venue before.

“Duggie (Chapman, the producer) rang me up and said would I like to do it. I did my first ever panto for Duggie a long time ago, so I thought it would be great to do,” he explains.

The secret of pantomime for him is imagination – “which kids have got, unfortunately we lose it a bit when we get older”.

He’s been appearing in panto for some 15 years and clearly loves it. “It’s my bag, it’s like being 12 again and getting away with it. I’ve never really grown up so it’s fantastic. Especially when you see the kids and the magic in their eyes, it makes it all worthwhile.”

Two decades or more ago he was working as a Bluecoat at Pontins holiday camps, leaving to go out on his own as a guitar vocalist. “Then I started shoving a few jokes in and then I did a TV programme called The Fame Game, which I won for six weeks on the go, and that basically got me into the comedy stuff.

“Most of my work now is cruising, the cruise ships. For me, they’re great because I don’t do any crude stuff and I don’t swear so it’s ideal for them, and in this day and age it is unusual. Most of the comics these days don’t do that.”

So would he call himself a comic? “I don’t really label myself. Just more of an entertainer really. I always thought the secret of being an entertainer is being able to entertain people from three years old to 100. That’s why I like panto I think,” he says.

“The thing with panto these days is great because the parents are sometimes louder than the kids, which is brilliant. Fantastic. Bring it on.”

He last played Buttons in Cinderella with legendary dame Stanley Baxter in panto, in Edinburgh and Glasgow. “That was fantastic. He said to me ‘it’s not the fact that you’re doing so well, it’s that you’re English up here’.”

On the cruise ships he only does maybe four shows in two weeks, but he’s doing stand-up which, as far as he’s concerned, adds up to about three hours in terms of material.

“The thing I like about panto as well is I don’t do any stand-up, it’s all comedy business I’ve developed over the years.”

That includes an end-of-panto song sheet that’s completely different to anything anyone else does.

“And it’s rock and roll,” he adds.

While the Forum is a new venue for him, he’s played in a wide variety of theatres great and small.

“It’s nothing to do with the room, it’s to do with the people in it. It’s all down to the audience,” he says.

Presumably, he taught son Barney everything he knows. “He said to me a while ago ‘Dad, whenever I’m doing anything you’re always sat on my shoulder’.

That’s nice, he’s a good kid.”

Now Barney’s presenting on Blue Peter, his proud dad can watch what he’s doing much more easily.

Not that he needs to keep an eye on him. “His feet are firmly planted on the floor and he really enjoys what he’s doing. I’m proud of him, really proud.”

As for the name Barnaby that dates back to his time as a Bluecoat at Pontins. “There was a woman who came up to me and said ‘my daughter loved you, she said you reminded her of a cuddly teddy bear.

• Cinderella: Billingham Forum, Dec 10-Jan 8.

Box Office: 01642-552663 and forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk