Glasgow's 'Mr Panto' on why he'll never forget Still Game role

And he is - but north of the border, it’s a different role which follows him around, more than 16 years later.

“In England, I occasionally get recognised for Coronation Street, which was a really special time in my life,” he says.

“But up here, I always get shouts of ‘oi, Beefy Bake!’ or ‘you’re the Beefy Bake guy...’”

He laughs: “Still Game is such an iconic show, if you appear in it, you’re always part of it.”

Eric appeared in a 2007 episode of Still Game called Recipe as wily butcher Mr Henderson.

The story revolves around Pete the Jakey's claims that he, and not Mr Henderson, invented the Beefy Bake snack, so he decides to fight the case in court, with Jack and Victor (Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill) representing him.

Eric says: “I was on holiday with my family in Florida a few years ago, and we were in the queue for one of the rides, when this man, who’d clearly spotted me as we’d all been standing for so long, said – ‘are you that guy off Still Game?’ and I said, yes, it’s me.”

He chuckles: “And then, of course, because the queue loops round, we had to pass each other about 10 times, and each time, he’d give this knowing nod and smile and give me the thumbs up…it was very bizarre.”

Away from his TV soap roles (he also appeared in Brookside and Emmerdale), Eric is Mr Panto, having written, directed and starred in more than 200 festive spectaculars.

Eric Potts has written, directed and starred in more than 200 pantos (Image: Newsquest)

This year, as artistic director of Imagine Theatre, he has written the Pavilion’s Christmas show, Treasure Island, and he is over the moon about the chance to work at the famous Glasgow theatre.

“I’m loving it,” he says. “I grew up in Irvine, so the Gaiety in Ayr and the King’s and Pavilion pantos in Glasgow were the big ones to go and see.

“Working with Liam Dolan, who is in with the bricks here, is fantastic.”

Eric as baker Diggory in Corrie (Image: ITV)

The theatre may be under new ownership – Trafalgar Theatres took over earlier this year – but panto audiences need not fear, says Eric.

“We’re not throwing out the baby with the bathwater,” he adds. “That would be daft. It will be everything Pavilion panto audiences expect it to be. Just a bit better.”

The cast of Treasure Island (Image: Newsquest)

Eric’s version of Treasure Island is “very loosely” based on the Robert Louis Stevenson book, he jokes.

“I’m not sure what happened, but Jim Hawkins’ well-known brother Wullie and mother Liz seemed to have slipped off Stevenson’s writer’s block,” he adds with a grin.

“The action follows their adventures, from the pub they run, the ‘Mon Inn, to their battle with pirates searching for the treasure...it’s a lot of fun.”

It was a teacher at high school who inspired Eric to become an actor.

Eric Potts inside Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre (Image: Gordon Terris/Newsquest)

“Lesley Grier, my teacher at Irvine Royal Academy, got me into the school plays and that’s where the spark came from,” he says. “She got me auditions in London, in New York – it all stemmed from there.

“And I’m very grateful to have been part of such iconic shows as Still Game and Coronation Street.”

Eric lives in Oldham near Manchester now, with his wife Jacqui, and the couple have two daughters, Hannah and Isla. His love of panto goes back to childhood and his first role as the dame was at Nottingham Playhouse.

“I grew up admiring Rikki Fulton and Johnny Beattie at the King’s – such easy performers to watch,” he says. “Les Dawson too, was a fantastic dame, a very clever performer. Roy Kinnear too.”

He adds: “For Glasgow audiences, the panto’s got to be for them, so there has to be lots of local references.

“They are the last member of the cast, really. Pantos that try to be a bit too clever just end up with audiences who are bemused. Most people go to the panto in the hope their children will have the same experience they had 40 years ago, so we just want to make it special for them.”

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And Eric’s favourite panto joke?

“There are so many, but I do love it when the daft character’s mother – like Widow Twankey – says to her son, ‘how can you say so many stupid things in one day?’ and he replies ‘I get up early’,” says Eric, with a grin. “That always makes me laugh.”

Treasure Island is at the Pavilion Theatre until January 14.