When you have to explain to your family what panto actually is...

Beauty and the Beast will be running at the Alexandra Theatre at the Regis Centre from Wednesday, December 7-Sunday, January 1 (tickets on alexandratheatre.co.uk), with Francesca slipping into the role of Beauty. The venue is promising “stunning scenery, lavish costumes, a super talented cast, memorable songs and laughs galore – just what you need for some festive fun this season”, the chance to meet the beautiful Belle and her crazy inventor mother as they embark on an adventure which sees them both taken prisoner by the evil Beast in the castle. Will Belle be rescued in time? Will the Beast find true love before the final petal falls from his rose bush? Will silly Lumi ever find his socks?

Francesca will be helping to unravel it all: “I am from Italy but I did my musical theatre training in London. I was working and living between Italy and here for a few years. I knew that I wanted to do musical theatre and I knew that I wanted to train in London. The quality of the training is so much better than in Italy and there are so many more opportunities for work over here.

“I just think musical theatre is much bigger culturally in the UK than it is in Italy and I knew that that's what I wanted to do. I thought if I had the chance to go to London I would take it and it came up and it has gone well though obviously the last few years have been quite tough because of Covid.

"I moved back to Italy for a while. Fortunately Brexit hasn't made much difference for me because I hold settled status. I had been in the UK for long enough so I think I'm OK for another couple of years.”

As for panto, well, basically it doesn't exist in Italy: “We just don't have that tradition. When I'm telling people that I'm doing panto I have to explain to family and friends what it actually is. You have to explain that it's basically a famous story which you then modernise a bit and you bring in some songs from the radio and then add comic elements to it and that it is all a lot of fun.

“And this is one of my favourite stories from my childhood. I just see a lot of myself in Belle sometimes, the same passion for books and just trying to go beyond the first impressions and just trying to be kind to everyone. That's very important to me. Growing up I really found myself in her and I even thought ‘Well, she looks a bit like me!’

“I think the kindness elements are key. She's kind to everyone and she is kind to the Gaston character and kind to the beast. She still finds a way to treat the Gaston character with kindness and she is the first one really to show kindness to the beast but I do think my Belle is going to be quite feisty. She is someone who knows what she wants!”

Francesca is looking forward to Christmas in Bognor though obviously it will be a Christmas away from her home in Italy: “I really hope my family is going to be able to come across to see the show. But my mum is terrified of flying! I think they will have to make it a five-day trip across France to get here but I really do hope that they'll be able to come.”

Beauty and the Beast will be running at the Alexandra Theatre at the Regis Centre from Wednesday, December 7-Sunday, January 1.

Tickets for the show are available online at alexandratheatre.co.uk.