A NEW display at a museum will celebrate the career of York's legendary panto dame, who is preparing to feature in his 43rd show.

Tuesday (October 31) was Berwick Kaler’s birthday and he is loving the fact his dame costumes are in pride of place at London's V&A museum.

The legendary dame’s costume and boots are on display in the Theatre and Performance galleries until at least February 2024.

Berwick, the UK's longest-serving pantomime dame, returns to the Grand Opera House for this year's panto Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates of the River Ouse from December 9 until January 6.

This will be the 43rd pantomime in which Berwick has starred and the second year with UK Productions. The venue team said they can’t wait to have Berwick and the gang back again for this year's festive celebration.

York Press: Berwick's dame costumes are in pride of place at London's V&A MuseumBerwick's dame costumes are in pride of place at London's V&A Museum (Image: Supplied)

In a career spanning over 40 years, a Berwick panto has become a festive tradition for thousands of families in York and the region.

Most of these years have been spent at York Theatre Royal, but more recently, Berwick and his loyal gang of sidekick Martin Barrass, leading lady Suzy Cooper and regular baddie David Leonard are now treading the boards across town at the Grand Opera House.

Berwick's first panto at the Theatre Royal was in 1977, when he starred in Cinderella. During his long run at the Theatre Royal, he only missed two years - 1986 and 1987.

Berwick grew up in Sunderland. He left school at 15 and moved to London to follow his dream of becoming an actor.

He worked as a painter and decorator in London while looking for theatrical roles. The story goes that one day, while painting a set, he asked actor Laurence Harvey if it was necessary to go to acting school. Harvey told him just to buy a copy of The Stage and turn up at an audition. Berwick followed this advice and ended up getting a job at Dreamland in Margate.

York Press: Berwick and the gang return to the Grand Opera House for this year's panto Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates of the River Ouse Berwick and the gang return to the Grand Opera House for this year's panto Robinson Crusoe and the Pirates of the River Ouse (Image: Supplied)

Berwick has had success as a TV actor in shows such as The New Statesman, Crocodile Shoes, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Spender as well as steady theatre work, but it is his role as York's panto dame which he is most famous for.

Over the years, he has played the dame in countless productions, including Babbies in the Wood, Robin Hood and his Merry Mam, Aladdin and the Twankees and Dick Whittington & His Meerkat, which was staged in a temporary traverse theatre in 2015 at the National Railway Museum while the Theatre Royal underwent a revamp.

Berwick has appeared in many guises over the decades including the star as Little Bo Beep, the Sydney Opera House, the solar system and a Walnut Whip.