Working with your sibling is bound to throw up a few complications, as general manager and artistic director of the Kenneth More Theatre, Vivyan Ellacott can contest to. Discussing this year’s pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was written by Vivyan’s brother Nigel, who also stars as Dame Dolly Doughnut and designs the costumes, the Welsh-born director tells me: “I have directed every panto here since it opened in 1974 and Nigel has written every one, but we haven’t worked together on it since 1981. He doesn’t like it when we alter and cut the script, so we have discovered it’s best not to tell him. This year, it will be more difficult to do that, so we have agreed a pact that as soon as rehearsals start, he is no longer the writer or costume designer but a performer.”

It is under rather sad circumstances that Nigel makes his homecoming appearance, as it follows the death of Peter Robbins, who played his ugly sister. Performing together for the past 28 years, the pair were regarded as “the best in the business”, treading the boards throughout the UK opposite names such as Les Dawson, Brian Conley and Rolf Harris.

Speaking about his decision to continue performing as a dame, Nigel tells me: “I would never do the ugly sisters with anybody else, I needed to do something completely different.

“You would think changing from a sister to a dame would be easy, but the costumes are not suitable for the dame, they are made for a partnership, so I have had to have new costumes made. And, after years of playing the funny but villainous role, I now just have to be funny, and I can’t blame somebody else if the jokes don’t work.”

Snow White will also feature the usual “core” group of KMT actors, including Loraine Porter, who returns as the fairy, bringing with her her son Rikki Stone, 21, who stars as Muddles, and her 18-year-old daughter Tami Stone who performs in the chorus, as well as assistant manager Robert Quarry, as Ramsbottom, who is appearing in his 35th consecutive panto.

On the subject of numbers, Nigel tells me he has a personal collection of 30-odd huge outfits, 28 wigs, and will be making an impressive 12 costume changes this year. “Why on earth didn’t I just give myself four costumes?” he chuckles.

This is also the fifth time Snow White has been performed at the KMT, but Vivyan, who has worked with the likes of Diana Dors, Cat Stevens and Frankie Howerd during his illustrious career, refuses to count his chickens just yet.

“Panto’s like making a christmas pudding,” he says wisely, “we have all the ingredients and next week we will start mixing it. If we get it right it will be a wonderful show, but there is always the possibility you have over-egged the pudding or put too much brandy in.”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs at the Kenneth More Theatre from Thursday, December 17 to Saturday, January 23. Tickets: 020 8553 4466 or www.kenneth-more-theatre.co.uk