Aladdin, Grand Opera House, York, December 12 to January 5

JAMES Crossley remembers catching one of Berwick Kaler's Wagon Wheels at the York Theatre Royal pantomime: much sought-after treasure in any York childhood.

Now James, alias Hunter from Gladiators, is searching for more treasure in the form of a lamp in his latest action-hero stage role, across the city centre at the Grand Opera House.

"The first panto I saw was in Hull, where I was born, but once the family moved to York, every year I would go and see Berwick's show. I must have seen about six of his pantos," says James. "You must thank him for that Wagon Wheel when you see him!"

As the headline attraction in Aladdin, James finds himself playing opposite the counter attraction of Kaler's indomitable dame at the Theatre Royal. "It might be quite surprising to have two big pantos in a city of this size, but there's obviously enough people to go around, and the shows can sit comfortably side by side," he says.

Grand Opera House audiences have seen man mountain James once before in pantomime: in 1999-2000 he played the strapping, heroic romantic lead of Prince Valentine in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. On Tuesday, he returned to his childhood city to start rehearsals for his 11th season in pantomime, his third year in a row in the title role in Aladdin.

Yes, you did read that correctly, the 6ft 4in beefcake is playing Aladdin. "If you were to ask 100 people in York to think of someone in the role of Aladdin, well, I probably wouldn't be their first thought; in fact I probably wouldn't be in the top ten!" says James, laughing at his own expense.

What image does Aladdin cast in his own mind? "Young! Small! Dark skinned! Dark haired! And it used to be played by a girl all the time, not so much now, although when I was first in Aladdin six years ago, it was a girl," says the 29-year-old, tall, fair-skinned, fair-haired strongman James.

That year, he played Washee or Wishee - he thinks it was Washee - in a comic double act with impressionist Aiden J Harvey in Southport.

In 2000, he was offered another chance to be in Aladdin, and he had his mind set on one particular role: the Genie of the Lamp.

"My first reaction was: 'Can't I be a genie?'. I'd always wanted to come out of a trap door surrounded by smoke; I remember as a child seeing the genie do that and thinking that looks fantastic... and obviously being quite sporty as well, it was something I was keen to do." James was no stranger to making dramatic entries in his Gladiators days and has seen plenty of smoke this year in his six-month tour of the stripping-fireman comedies Naked Flame and Naked Flame 2, which ended only last weekend.

The Genie, however, must wait for another day. James is enjoying his run of pantomimes playing Aladdin, first in Torquay, last year in Ashton-under-Lyne, and now York. Not surprisingly he makes a feature of his height.

"We do have a lot of comedy in the show that works on me being a big Aladdin. It is a funny sight, because I'm a lot bigger than the two genies, but then panto is magical - I'm told! - so it's allowed."

Although the poster bills him as Hunter, playing Aladdin gives James the chance to break out from his Gladiator persona and develop his acting ambitions.

"With Aladdin I'm playing a role, a cheeky kind of boy who's quite brave, rather than being a Gladiator in panto, whereas with someone like Little John, you're just a Gladiator in different clothes. So it's nice to have a meaty part to do, when I'm trying to build up my acting career," says James.

Since Gladiators stopped contending for Saturday teatime viewers in December 1999, James has done a year-long Science of Acting course at Holborn; presented the television shows Peak Performance and Weight Matters; starred as a commando in the Canadian series LEXX; played Sean in the Naked Flame stage shows; and earlier this year he recorded his role as a Mafia boss in the short film spoof Hollywood Action Movie, in which he stars with fellow Opera House pantomime player Jaason Simmons and Dame Judi Dench (although he never met York's queen of stage and screen).

So, James Crossley has moved on from Gladiators, from York (he has lived in South London since 1999), and from that tabloid fairytale known as Ulrika Jonsson.

Their two-year relationship finished as long ago as March 1997, but this autumn there was that Ulrika tittle-tattle book, Honest.

Has James read it? "No." Will he? "No. Is it out yet? I don't think I've even seen it. But then it hasn't really been thrust at me as there are a lot more high-profile people in there than me."

James is not tempted to do a book himself. Why does he think Ulrika went into print about her not-so-private life? "I'm sure she has two million reasons why she's doing it, and they've all got the Queen's head on."

Ooh, sharp. Stick that one in the panto.

Aladdin, Grand Opera House, York, December 12 to January 5. Tickets: £7 to £13.50; children £8, schools and OAP groups £6. Box office: 01904 671818.

Updated: 10:24 Friday, December 06, 2002