Look who’s back being nasty again, oh yes he is...
ONE of TV’s most infamous characters was at Stockport Plaza’s panto launch and revealed the secret to being a successful ‘baddie’ - think of traffic wardens.
John Altman - aka Nasty Nick Cotton in Eastenders - will play the role of Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the theatre this December.
Tickets are now on sale and speaking at the launch on Thursday John, 64, told how he searches for his ‘dark side’ before transforming into a bad guy.
And he warned that there will be no holds barred when it comes to frightening the audience - even if it leaves them quaking in their pirate boots.
John said: “You have to summon up your dark side, everybody has one. Mine comes out with parking tickets.
“I once went into a shop near the Eastenders set to buy a paper, it was on a yellow line but I wasn’t blocking anyone and I was two minutes but a parking warden gave me a ticket.
“He said, ‘that’s an expensive paper’, that made me swear. I want kids to believe I am Captain Hook.
“I once went on stage and without saying a word a child started crying and their mum had to take them out. It means I did a good job!”
Peter Pan is on at the Plaza, on Mersey Square, from December 2 to January 8. John will also play Mr Darling.
Other stars include Becky Bennett, who has previously starred in a Plaza panto, as Wendy, Bradley Thompson as Mr Smee, and Jamie Jukes as Peter Pan.
Despite playing a sweet, innocent character Becky is hoping to learn from John.
She said: “I always play a goodie at the Plaza but I like playing a baddie - my favourite role is the Wicked Witch in Wizard of Oz, you can get your teeth into it and let loose.
“So this is an amazing opportunity and you learn something every rehearsal.”
But John says he had reservations before accepting his famous soap part.
He said: “I ummed and ahhed about playing Nick and getting type-cast. I have been but I’ve done a lot of other things along the way.
“It can close a lot of doors being in a soap, which is a shame as there are a lot of great actors in them.”
Plaza manager Ted Doan added: “It will be panto at its very best. If you want a Captain Hook who better than nasty Nick, the original pantomime baddie?”