BAD news from York Theatre Royal! The arch villain, David Leonard, is to return to the pantomime after two years of breaking baddie habits to play scary Miss Trunchball in Matilda in the West End and slick lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Leicester Curve over the past two winters.

It is no secret that that the dame and the villain had their differences at the 2011 pantomime, leading to the hiatus, Berwick even saying "Time moves on" when David was missing from the line-up for a second successive panto season. However, The Press was not alone in calling for a rapprochement and the restoration of Leonard's unique villainy, and glory be, he is back.

"I have had thousands of letters from one or two people begging me to return to York and bring thought-provoking entertainment back to the masses," says David. "I shall bring with me my personal assistant, dresser, physiotherapist, Zumba guru, and a word Dame Kaler has never heard of: professionalism!"

Leonard will be reunited with dame Berwick Kaler, principal girl Suzy Cooper and perennial stooge Martin Barrass in Old Mother Goose in a run fromDecember 11 to January 31 2015, resuming the villain's role that was filled by Jonathan Race in the 2012 and 2013 shows.

Welcoming the A-team's reunion with the return of David Leonard, Dame Berwick jokes, "I can only vaguely remember him", while Suzy says she can't wait to be insulted by the greatest villain in the country. "It's the highlight of my year," she adds.

Martin wants it to be known by David that "I've been in the West End too" – a reference to his two long runs in One Man, Two Guvnors – and the theatre management's welcome back to David comes in the form of this message: "If he can do all this on the minimum wage, it’s fine by us."

Further cast members for Old Mother Goose will be "lovely" Brummie AJ Powell; Tim Lawrence, as the young Squire Tingly – Bottoms; Pocklington’s very own Harry Hughes; David Leonard's daughter, Hermione Lynch; Danielle Mullan; Lauren Newton; Jake Lindsay; Faye Cooper and Cameron Macdonald.

The creative team from last year’s Aladdin And The Twankeys return with set and costume design by Phil R Daniels and Charles Cusick Smith, lighting design by Richard G Jones, compositions and musical direction by Elliot Styche and choreography by Grace Harrington. As usual, artistic director Damian Cruden will direct "with interference from the old dame".

Tickets can be booked on 01904 623568 or online 24 hours a day at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk