JANUARY'S pantomime at the Stag Theatre will be missing a familiar face – albeit one that is usually only seen plastered in over-the-top make-up.

At the age of 63, after 32 years with Sevenoaks Entertainers, Mike Hume is stepping out of his high heels to enable someone else to play the dame for a change.

After 25 years as chairman of the Entertainers, Mr Hume said: "I felt it was time to step down from being chairman, but if I stayed involved in the next panto I'd get roped back into doing all the things I did before, so I'm having a compete break."

Mr Hume's first panto role was as Baron Waste at Donnington Hall in 1988, though he forgets the name of the show.

The following year he took on his first dame part, as one of the ugly sisters in Cinderella.

"I learned the ropes from the other sister, a long-established dame, and the year after I was on my own."

He continued: "Since then I've had my fair share of accidents. I broke my arm on stage falling off someone's shoulders, and had my fingers crushed by a window.

"One time, I had a fever of 103 degrees and people were fanning me off-stage in between scenes.

"I'm not particularly accident prone, but on the first night of the Wizard of Oz I fell over and cut my leg open.

"We've had panto horses walk off stage and sets falling down – but the show must go on."

A buildings surveyor by day, he admits he will miss the colourful wigs and rosy cheeks, adding: "Some people say they don't recognise me out of costume. My colleagues think I'm quite adventurous."

Mr Hume, whose wife Sandy is also in the Entertainers, is still doing smaller village theatre.

His next show is The Blitz with the Otford Players, a play he first performed alongside another local stage stalwart, Ray Russell, with what was then Sevenoaks Variety Club.

Sorry to lose Mr Hume's talents, Mr Russell said: "He's been at the centre of every performance.

He's produced a list of everything he does for the group for us, and it went over on to two sides of paper.

"He won't give it up forever as performing is in his blood but for now we now need a new dame for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in January, along with other aspiring performers aged 14 or over."

Mr Hume, who recently moved to Yalding, conceded: "I'm sure I'll be back in panto, but maybe not as the dame again. I don't want to be typecast and no-one is irreplaceable."

Anyone interested in auditioning for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – or Sevenoaks Shakespeare Society's The Merry Wives of Windsor – can call 01732 742213 or alternatively e-mail rhmrussell@aol.com