HEART-throb Lee Mead was happy to be upstaged by a horse as the Theatre Royal's panto was unveiled.
The singer and actor looked the part as he took to the saddle in the title role of Robin Hood.
But he admitted he'd never been on a horse before and credited the placid steed for making him look like a horseman.
"I really enjoyed it," he said. "I think I'll take up riding lessons."
His ride for the day, 14-year-old Dudley, nonchalantly munched on an ornamental tree at the meet-the-stars session. The Irish cob, stabled at Wembury Bay Riding School and owned by Angela Mills, never flinched.
Lee had his musical theatre career transformed by winning the BBC series Any Dream Will Do in 2007, which catapulted him into the top rank of West End stars.
But taking part in the show was a big risk for the up-and-coming musical star who already had a part in the West End in Phantom of the Opera, when he auditioned for the role of Joseph.
"I was quite naive," he admits of his decision. "I never expected to get to the last 12, but when I did they said if you choose to be in the last 12, there's no job for you in Phantom', even if I'd got knocked out in the first week."
It was a big decision and one he did not take lightly.
"I think with anything you do in life, whether it's career related or not, you have to follow your gut," he said.
Lee left Southend's Whitehall School of Performing Arts without graduating, and he says the experience give him a lot more drive.
"I wouldn't say it worked against me, but I thought I had more to prove and I had to work much harder. I didn't walk straight into the West End, I started off at the bottom of the industry and worked my way up."
After his successful run in Joseph, Lee then took on a new challenge, starring at the Theatre Royal Windsor in a touring revival of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, and he led the cast playing the title role.
He returned to the West End in May 2010 to take on the role of Fiyero in the musical Wicked and pursue a solo singing career. On his days off from the musical, he took his own show 'An Evening with Lee Mead' to various venues in UK. He also starred in his own Christmas show at the London Coloseum and had a three-month run in another top musical 'Legally Blonde'.
He has also taken on a number of TV roles – first as 'Harry Timms' in an episode of 'Casualty' for the BBC and also playing 'Scott' in Series 2 of 'Bedlam' for Sky TV and he will soon be making a return to television. He was also asked to join the cast of a new concert venture called 'West End Men'. The show has been a huge success and included a sell-out performance to 3000 people in Singapore.
Last year he starred in his first pantomime 'Jack in the Beanstalk' at Southampton's Mayflower working with Julian Clary and Nigel Havers – so the Plymouth production unites the two stars.
Lee said: "The funny thing is, Robin Hood was the first role I ever played, when I was nine years old in school.
"I'm looking forward to bringing my daughter Betsy (aged three) to Plymouth to see the show."
And he is looking forward to crossing swords in Robin Hood with Nigel, who plays the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Nigel's had a long and success career both in film, on stage and in the theatre.
TV-wise it spans Upstairs, Downstairs in 1975 to the second of two Coronation Street stints that ended this year.
His films include a trio that were popular and critical successes Chariots Of Fire (1981), A Passage To India (1984) and Empire Of The Sun 1987).
He says he loves panto "because it's such great fun."
Expect a lot of laughs as well from Jeffrey Holland (Nurse Tilly Tick) who has brought many of the same to TV audiences over the decades, starting as Spike in Hi-de-Hi! in the 1980s.
He'll be in dame mode for the 24th time but relishes being "very much a bloke in a frock. Panto is a unique British tradition and that's why I love it."
The comedy lead is all-rounder Bobby Davro (Will Scarlet) who can't wait to renew his acquaintance with Plymouth – he was here in March in the Wizard Of Oz at the Pavilions.
"I had some cracking fish and chips on the Hoe," he says. "What a beautiful city."
For Bobby this panto will be his 28th, and he says he loves it.
"It gives me the chance to exhibit all my talents in singing, comedy and impressions," he said. "It is an art form and a lot of the routines are done in a way you wouldn't do normally in stand-up. I'm still learning."
Bobby is used to being a versatile performer.
He made his TV debut in 1981 and made his major breakthrough in Live at Her Majesty's in 1983. This led to Bobby Davro on the Box, Bobby's Sketch Pad and TV Weekly.
He then moved to the BBC and starred in another three successful series. In 1997 he hosted Winner Takes All and later he also appeared as Vinnie Monks in EastEnders.
He said: "I would like to do more acting, I would like to go back to EastEnders. I didn't get killed off, it just ran its course. But I would be open to going back to it.
"You are only as good as the scripts you are given and I felt the character wasn't allowed to develop enough.
"It wasn't their fault, it was also mine, I kept going off and doing other stuff."
Playing on his own status of notching 35 years in the business he joked: "I've got a new TV show – I'm Still Alive At The Apollo."
Robin Hood will run at the Theatre Royal from December 20 to January 25.
For more information and ticket details call 01752 267222 or visit www.theatreroyal.com
