Today's Object of the Week is an historic theatre poster which marked the start of a legendary pantomime career.

HE'S probably the most recognisable name in pantomime.

But not many people will know that Christopher Biggins started his career as a pantomime dame in Darlington.

And now a poster has emerged from that first show - Mother Goose, performed at what what then called the Civic Theatre, in 1976/77.

The poster is from the archives of the theatre - now called the Hippodrome, after a major refurbishment.

Read more: Oh yes he is! Pantomime dame legend Biggins returns to Darlington for Christmas extravaganza

Biggins, best known at that time from his role in TV prison sitcom Porridge alongside Ronnie Barker, is given top billing as Mother Goose.

Frank Williams, the vicar in Dad's Army, played the Wicked Squire and other cast members included Kay Lyell, Stephanie Lawrence and Julie Collins.

The Northern Echo: The poster for Darlington Civic Theatre's 1976 pantomime Morther Goose, with Christopher Biggins given top billingThe poster for Darlington Civic Theatre's 1976 pantomime Morther Goose, with Christopher Biggins given top billing (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

Now, 47 years on from that first appearance, Biggins will be back in Darlington to star in this year's pantomime - Peter Pan.

He fondly recalled how he was persuaded to don the panto dame's frock for the first time when he was back in Darlington this week to launch this year's show.

"In my day it was the Civic Theatre, run by Peter Todd," he said.

"Duggie Squires, who was a wonderful director, and Jamie Phillips, a wonderful producer, asked me to do pantomime in Darlington.

"I turned it down. I said 'no,no,no, I'm an actor - I don't do pantomime and common things like that'.

"But they kept on and on and on at me to come and do it and I said 'no, no. no'. Every pantomime dame I'd ever seen seemed to be in their 80s and I was 27-years-old I think.

"Eventually they mentioned money, which 40-odd years ago was £1,000 a week - and I thought, 'perhaps I ought to do this, this is extraordinary money'.

"So I did it and, of course, I fell in love with it immediately. It was fantastic."

In fact, he liked it so much, he returned the following year to play Sarah the Cook in Dick Whittington - pictures from which have also been found in the theatre's archive.

The Northern Echo: A young Christopher Biggins in pantomime in Darlington in the 1970sA young Christopher Biggins in pantomime in Darlington in the 1970s (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

Biggins returned to the Civic Theatre to appear on its last night before refurbishment to "say goodbye" to what he described as "a wonderful theatre".

And he is very impressed by the transformation.

"It's incredible," he said.

"What they've done to this theatre is magnificent - it's absolutely gorgeous.

"You look out into the autditorium and they've put it back to how it was when it first opened.

"I don't know how much they spent on it but it was worth every penny and a tribute to the North East."

* Peter Pan runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Friday, December 9 to Saturday, December 31, 2023. For more details, or to book, call 01325-405405 or visit darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

The Northern Echo: Christopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dameChristopher Biggins in one of his early roles as a pantomime dame (Image: DARLINGTON HIPPODROME)

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