Swashbuckling, flying and still smiling, Kirsten O'Brien is wowing audiences at the Ashcroft Theatre, Fairfield, in one of her favourite roles: Peter Pan.

When we spoke she had just taken a break during rehearsals sword-fighting with John Boycie' Challis.

"John has had me in fits of laughter," she says.

"He is so funny and a great Captain Hook."

Kirsten is best known for her work as a TV presenter for the CBBC art programme Smart, for which she was nominated for a children's BAFTA.

She has also co-presented two series of SmartHart with the legendary Tony Hart and four series of Smart on the Road. She also has the accolade of winning a Weakest Link special.

Her voice, a soft Middlesbrough accent, can be heard on BBC7 on The Big Toe and Little Toe Radio Shows. Her link to toes earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

"I had the highest number of socks put on one foot at that time. I lost all feeling in my foot and I was worried I'd get DVT!" she laughs.

Not many people know that Kirsten is a stand-up comedian though.

She spent August at the Edinburgh Festival as part of The Four Queens Poker Club and she can also be seen on the London comedy and sketch circuit most recently at the Ha Bloody Ha club in Ealing.

What on earth does she talk about and is her stand-up risqu material. More laughter as she replies: "Funnily enough kids' telly has provided me with a lot of material, some of the stories that have happened to me are hilarious. The madness of it all, switching on Christmas lights and that sort of thing can be very funny.

"Audiences can be funny too, one night a woman asked me: Do you actually have any art qualifications?' That was odd."

However she could have replied that she graduated from The University of Central England in Birmingham with a 2:1 in Media and Communication Studies.

What encouraged Kirsten to try her hand at stand-up in the first place?

"I've been so fortunate in my career. A bit of radio, a bit of telly, a bit of panto and also stand-up. That started when I used to do radio with Steve Merchant The Office for two years and he used to say, You could write a book' so I started writing sketches and that led to stand-up.

"Steve and Ricky Gervaise are writing a new show called Extras and he rang me for information about pantomime casts," she says.

Is she a pantomime fan?

"Yes I am. I can remember going to one that starred Christopher Biggins and he got me up on stage and I won a talent contest. That was years ago and I reminded him of it when I met him as an adult," she says.

Kirsten has lived in Camden for six years now and claims that this has dulled her accent.

"The longer I live in London the more it goes. When I go back to Middlesbrough though after a few days it picks up again."

This Christmas Kirsten will be in Camden.

"I left it too late to book my flights back so I'll be at home with my hand in a big box of chocolates!"

She'll also enjoy a well-earned rest from sword-fighting for a day.

Peter Pan runs at the Ashcroft Theatre until Sunday, January 9.

Call the Fairfield box office for tickets on 020 8688 9291.