‘Coronation Street’ star Nigel Havers has revealed that Dawn French joked she would "kill him" if her performance in Dick Whittington went wrong.
The 67-year-old actor – who plays reformed conman Lewis Archer in the ITV soap – had to "twist her arm" to get the ‘Vicar of Dibley’ star to make her pantomime debut this December at the London Palladium but she told him straight that he would be to blame if she discovered panto wasn’t her thing.
Speaking on BBC Radio 2, he said: "I had to twist her arm slightly to get her to do this and she said to me on the first day of rehearsal, ‘If this doesn’t pan out for me, I’m going to kill you!’ But so far it’s really panning out so I think it’s gonna be OK."
Nigel will play Captain Nigel in the production and said that when the show starts his "feet won’t touch the floor" because it is such a hectic schedule but he is looking forward to singing the "most amazing opening number" in the show.
He said: "I have the most amazing opening numbers it’s sort of from Chicago, everyone’s talking about Roxy, this year it’s everyone’s talking about Nigel , I’ve never had an opening like it.
"It’s an amazing feeling and on the 8th of December when it all kicks off my feet won’t touch the floor until the 14th of January we’re right on the treadmill we just get on and it takes off like a rocket. "
Despite the play’s grueling schedule, Nigel is more than happy to perform over the festive holiday as it is "amazing fun".
He said: "We get Christmas Day off which I think is very generous of them and then back on Boxing Day and then we have New Year’s Eve off, it’s a lot of work but you know it’s just amazing fun."
Corrie star Nigel Havers convinced Dawn French to make panto debut
