Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs may be one of the most-beloved pantomimes of all time but, when it opens at Richmond Theatre in December, it will only be the third production of the panto ever staged at the venue.

Yet it is not only the theatre that is new to the show. Sapphire Elia, who will star as Snow White, alongside actress Jane Asher and comedian Tim Vine, has never appeared in a panto before and has only been to watch one once.

“I just didn’t grow up with pantomime but I wish I had,” explains Elia, 22. “I went to Peter Pan last year and loved it. Rehearsals are only a few weeks away now and I can’t wait to get started.”

In fact Elia, who starred in the ITV series Britannia High, is a relative newcomer to the stage, with only a couple of credits to her name. Her experience extends to playing the young Cosette at the age of 11 in Les Miserables at the West End and a live tour of Britannia High but she isn’t fazed by the prospect of taking a starring role in the Richmond panto.

“When I was younger, my mum always said: ‘You should play Snow White’ – and now I am finally getting the opportunity,” she says.

And how does she feel about performing for an audience of excitable, noisy youngsters? Elia says it will not be a problem.

“I am used to it with the Britannia High live show. I have a lot of young fans and it will be nice to see people who know me from the show in the audience,” she adds.

“I am looking forward to the interaction. There was a really good vibe with The Britannia High show because it started as a TV programme and people didn’t expect to see us live on stage but it wasn’t really interactive like the panto will be.”

As well as performing for her Britannia High fans, Elia is also looking forward to welcoming her family and friends to Richmond Theatre.

“My dad has already group booked for lots of different sets of people and he is coming to all of them,” she says.

“It is going to be manic – everyone I know cannot wait to come. They all seem to love panto, probably because it has such a good vibe attached to it.

“People love bringing their kids and it is something all the family can get involved with because there are adult jokes as well.”

In Brittania High, Elia played queen bitch Claudine but she is glad the pantomime is giving her a chance to display her softer side.

“I had some jokey lines in Britannia High but I was playing a mean, bitchy role,” she says.

“I am playing the good girl in Snow White, so it will be a good opportunity to show I can be nice and sweet as well as horrible.”

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Richmond Theatre, December 4 to January 10, visit ambassadortickets.com

On December 18 there will be a gala performance of the panto in aid of the NSPCC. The show starts at 1.30pm and tickets cost £25.