BOLTON actor Darren Southworth is playing an Ugly Sister in this season's Oldham Coliseum pantomime Cinderella.

Darren who got his professional theatre start playing the lead role in Kes! The Musical at Bolton's Octagon Theatre, will be making his fourth appearance at Oldham.

He's a former pupil of Little Lever High School. His other appearances on the Octagon stage were in Enjoy and The Importance of Being Earnest.

At the Coliseum he has appeared in The Houses in Between, An Evening with Gary Lineker and last year's panto Mother Goose in which he played the comic character Evil Eric.

Playing opposite him is Coliseum favourite Eric Potts. Eric --Brookside's Mr Moore -- was a hit as Dame in Aladdin in 1997/98, followed by the record-breaking Dick Whittington the following year.

Last year he appeared at Crewe Lyceum in Jack and the Beanstalk, but has chosen to return to Oldham this Christmas.

Eric said: "There's nothing like a Coliseum panto audience. I have seen some of the designs and the frocks have got more outrageous than ever."

Following a national tour, Eric is returning to the Coliseum for a few months. He is currently appearing in Canterbury Tales and Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick as well as Cinderella.

Cinderella runs from November 25 to January 20. Already, half of the run is sold out.