IF you enjoyed Michael Lambourne's booming-voiced turn as the heavily bewhiskered Chief Weasel and auctioneer in The Wind In The Willows at York Theatre Royal this summer, then you can follow him down the A1079 to Hull at Christmas.

Michael is to play a Rat in Hull Truck Theatre's Cinderella from December 5 to January 10 2015. In doing so, he will be returning to the "crime scene" of his howling success as the Big Bad Wolf in Nick Lane's courtroom-drama version of Little Red Riding Hood last winter.

Lambourne – he even has an animal in his surname – will be adding to a portfolio of non-human roles already the size of a zoo, having played everything from a grasshopper to a moose, a pigeon to a camel, a snake to an orang-utan. He once appeared as a potato too, another chip off the block.

Theatre Royal repertory regular and drama teacher Lambourne will not be the only York component in the Hull Truck show. York playwright Mike Kenny, who adapted The Wind In The Willows too, has provided the script for artistic director Mark Babych's production of Cinderella.

Kenny's version of Cinderella will revolve around "Five Rats, one romance, no cheese". His family show promises "all the traditional elements for a fabulous Christmas treat": a feisty girl who dreams of dressing up and dancing, a wicked stepmother and a slightly geeky Prince, but this Cinderella has one big difference. The rats are in charge. "Join Whiskers, Tail, Teeth, Ears and Claws as they tell their story, play music, dance, sing and squabble their way through to the fairy-tale ending," says Mike.

Rumour has it that Michael's Rat will turn into an Ugly Sister, his whiskers still in place apparently. To find out if the facial fur will stay or go, you can book tickets on 01482 323638 or at hulltruck.co.uk “This year’s Christmas show will be magical enough for small princesses, spirited enough for those who prefer Frozen to Snow White and high-energy enough for boys, especially those rats,” says director Mark Babych.