FOR self-confessed ‘adrenaline junkie’ Rosie O’Hare, the chance to fly high above the stage in the Alhambra panto was a

dream come true.

As Wendy, the girl with a soft spot for Peter Pan, Rosie joins actor/singer Jon Lee for a magical flying sequence that sees the pair somersaulting through the air. “I'd never done it before, it took a lot of getting used to. Even now, when I’m up in the air my stomach sometimes goes and I think ‘Woah! That’s a long way down,” smiles Rosie. "My flying time doesn't last very long, but it took a lot of rehearsal. One tiny movement of your leg can tip your whole body over, it's a bit like learning to swim with no water. I love doing back flips."

As with any technical challenge, the flying scenes don't always go to plan. "Jon once ended up head first through the window. I was meant to be asleep, I had one eye open and all I could see were his legs sticking out of the window. It was hilarious," says Rosie. "I love it when things go wrong, it's all part of the fun of panto."

With just over a week to go before the panto closes, Rosie is trying not to think about life after Peter Pan. "I'm having such a lovely time, I don't want it to end," says the Huddersfield actress. "I share a dressing room with Lucy Evans, who plays Tinkerbell, and Marina Lawrence-Mahrra who's Tiger Lily. We joke that we're going to set up a girl band - 'Wigabell', a mash-up of our characters' names! I love working with the Sunbeams too, they're full of little stories."

Peter Pan is Rosie's first professional pantomime. As well as S Club's Jon Lee, she shares the stage with panto king Billy Pearce, singer and actor Darren Day and former Emmerdale actress Charlie Hardwick.

"There's a real art form to panto; everything is heightened, it can be hard not to overdo it," says Rosie. "At first I wanted to play Tinkerbell, as she's cool, but I love Wendy. She could be a bit boring but I've tried to make her quite feisty, especially in the pirate scenes."

While the show features spectacular special effects, including a giant crocodile and a 3D underwater journey, it retains the traditional elements of panto. "It's great because children totally believe what's happening," says Rosie. "Peter Pan is particularly interactive because it involves the audience - they get to shout out that they believe in fairies."

Rosie cut her teeth at Huddersfield's Lawrence Batley Theatre and did a musical theatre degree in London. She has been in show such as Hairspray and The Sound of Music. "I went to the Alhambra as a child, you never forget live theatre," she says."I hope the children watching Peter Pan will come back for more too."

* Peter Pan runs until Sunday, January 29. Call (01274) 432000.