DICKENS will get a Glaswegian makeover next month as the curtain rises on the city's newest panto.

Scrooge, a tale loosely based on A Christmas Carol, is the first pantomime at the Cottiers Theatre, Hyndland.

The venue, which has just had a £5million refurbishment, will play host to Mark Cox, of TV comedy Still Game, Callum Cuthbertson, from Gary: Tank Commander, and Claire Knight, who plays Iona in River City.

"It's going to be a really great show – very funny, very sharp and also full of pathos," Claire explains. "It will leave you with a warm glow inside.

"The writers are keen to make sure the story comes across – lots of pantos go big on fireworks and acrobats, but the story gets left behind.

"Scrooge is not like that – although in true Glasgow panto fashion, it will be full of lots of Glaswegians and daftness."

The story revolves round Ebenezer hard at work in his city pawn shop, Smash For Gold.

Scrooge buys and sells anything from anyone, leaning hard on his poor, long-suffering assistant Bob Cratchett.

But something strange is in store for the miser on Christmas Eve, in the shape of three ghosts.

Claire says: "I play one of the ghosts.

"I'm a bit of a diva, apparently, although we are still really early on with rehearsals so I don't know much about what she will be like.

"I have not done panto for years and am excited about it. I'm also glad to be at home. I can go home every night and see my daughter, which is great."

She and husband Simon MacCallum and daughter Maisie, 2, are planning a quiet Christmas.

Claire says: "This is the first year Maisie really understands Christmas and gets the whole Santa thing – she is hoping for a bike.

"I will probably cook on Christmas Day, but we have a show on Christmas Eve and one on Boxing Day, so it will be a quiet festive season for us.

"I'm looking forward to being back on stage. I love River City, but I miss the theatre. It is hard, and challenging but it is what I love doing the most, it's what I trained in.

"It's also physically demanding, especially panto, when you're on for a month, with two shows every Wednesday and Saturday.

"You just don't sweat that much on TV ..."

lScrooge: The Panto, December 7-31, adults £12.50, children £10.40. Call 0141 357 5825 or see: www.cottiers.com