Indeed, the Inverness-born teenager is practically a veteran. She has been on stage in most of the pantos at the theatre in the last decade, a run that goes back to her debut in "Cinderella" in 1997-8.

"We had been going to see the pantos for years and eventually it was my dance teacher — I started out doing Highland dancing when I was three — who suggested to my mum that I audition for 'Cinderella' that year at Eden Court when I was nine," she explained. "I got into it and I've been doing them ever since."

That "Cinderella" was followed by "Peter Pan", the first of her pantos with TEAM Productions, the company responsible for staging the Eden Court pantomimes since 1998. Since then, she has gone on to play in "Snow White", "Pinocchio", an earlier "Aladdin", "Jack and the Beanstalk", another "Cinderella" and "Sinbad the Sailor", the last of which was performed in the marquee in the Northern Meeting Park in the first year of Eden Court's refurbishment.

"This will be my ninth altogether," she confirmed. "I'm playing So Shy, who is Princess Jasmine's best friend and tries to look out for her and keep her away from Aladdin. It's not a big part, more of a cameo role, and it's mostly an acting part, although I am involved in a few songs as well."

She will line up alongside a seasoned cast that includes Alastair Bruce in the role of Aladdin, Louise Bolton as the Princess, Billy Riddoch in the part which created the pantomime dame, Widow Twankey, Keith Warwick as Wishee Washee and Gavin Kean as Abanazar.

Claire also performed regularly while a pupil at Inverness Royal Academy and concluded her time there by taking the starring role as Dorothy in their production of "The Wizard of Oz". She is currently a second year student at the Midland Academy of Dance and Drama in Nottingham, but managed to get permission to take part in the panto, a concession normally only made to third-year students.

"It is great experience to work with a cast and production team like this one," she said. "You learn so much doing it. I'm also interested in developing some off-stage skills in things like choreography. I had a chance to choreograph a short film called 'I'm Quite Unique' that was aimed at promoting multi-culturalism as part of Highland 2007, and I really enjoyed that."

Claire Darcy has appeared in the majority of Eden Court pantos over the last 10 years.

As a offshoot of her involvement with the pantomimes, Claire also joined choreographer and TEAM co-director Sally Coppen's Theatre FX, which has given so many local youngsters an opportunity to learn performing skills.

As well as taking part in their own shows, she was able to perform in productions of "James and the Giant Peach" and "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat" when they visited Eden Court. Throw in a cameo as an extra in BBC's "Taggart" in 2003 and she has a substantial CV in place before she even finishes college.

"I'm doing acting, dancing and singing at the Academy, and I love being on stage," she said.

"We do a lot of musical theatre at the Midland Academy, and I would love to go on and do full scale musical theatre shows. I know it is a very competitive field and very difficult to break into, but that is my aim."

* Aladdin opens at Eden Court on Friday and runs until 4th Jaunary.

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