AN icy north-westerly wind blows in off the hills, snatching the first leaves of autumn from the trees in Malvern Winter Gardens.

Brrr. It might only be September, but weather-wise, it does just feel a little bit like Christmas…

And well it might, too. For there’s a really festive feel in the park today and that’s because the cast members of this year’s Malvern Theatres panto have dropped in to launch this year’s production, Aladdin.

They’re all in costume and the first character to stand out is Mark James. His voice – a sort of cross between Jimmy Clitheroe and George Formby – cuts through the air like a knife going through barm cake.

And he’s barmy all right, oh yes. Mark’s back by popular demand at Malvern, this year in the role of Wishee Washee. He’s as mad as a bucket of frogs, as they say oop north.

Not surprisingly, Mark’s a huge favourite with Malvern audiences. And such is his success with the Worcestershire crowds that he’s planning to stage his very own personalised photo-call after each show, just as he’s done in previous years.

Meanwhile, a scantily clad Loula Geater, who’s playing Spirit of the Ring, shivers in the breeze. She really could do with borrowing some of Jamie Steen’s Widow Twankey layers, to be sure.

Elsewhere, Aladdin (Aaron Jenson) and PC Pong (Danny Rogers) lurk behind trees, no doubt hoping some genius – or even a genie, come to think about it – would work some wonders with the weather.

But now to Abanazar, the baddie (cue loud boos). He’s being played by Only Fools and Horses star John Challis - and this time he won’t have long-suffering Marlene to get him out of trouble.

I caught up with him once we had retreated back to the relative warmth of Malvern Theatres foyer…

Challis has never been short of work. Big Breadwinner Hog helped to get the career ball rolling back in 1969, then it was Dixon of Dock Green, Coronation Street, Z Cars, Soldier, Soldier, Heartbeat, Dr Who and a spell last year with the phenomenally successful Benidorm. But it’s Z Cars that remains a vivid memory for him.

“Z Cars changed the whole scene. It dealt with the nitty-gritty of police work, portraying what it was actually like. It also helped the careers of several actors who would later become stars,” he says.

I ask him about his working preferences. What suits him best of all – TV, radio, film or stage?

Challis is most famous for his role as Boycie in the long-running sitcom Only Fools and Horses. But what about panto?

Down the years, he’s performed in 30 pantomimes, and is very much looking forward to his Christmas season in Malvern.

He said: “Out of those pantos, I did 25 in a row. I really enjoy them. Panto is about entertainment. There’s been so much fun taken away by the PC brigade, but thankfully, many people still want this type of entertainment.”

Aladdin runs at Malvern Theatres from Thursday, December 12, to Sunday, January 5.