STAFF at the Everyman in Cheltenham are keeping an extra close eye on the stars of this year's pantomime Aladdin since they found out that one is known for working with aliens!

Rehearsals are already well under way and the cast are concentrating on learning their lines, songs and dance routines but they'll be keeping a watch for any extra-terrestrial visitors to the venue - and especially anyone visiting actor Daniel O'Brien (right).

As well as playing The Genie of the Lamp and The Mandarin in Aladdin, Dan appears in the Children's ITV series My Parents are Aliens as the hawk-eyed and much-feared teacher Mr Whiteside. The award winning children's programme, currently in its fifth series, tells the tale of two Valuxian aliens who come to earth to create a family, which they find in three orphans called Mel, Josh and Lucy.

"It's a pretty crazy show but that's one of the reasons it's so much fun," says Dan. "The show covers the topics that all families go through. Everyone's embarrassed by their parents at some point in their life, but as well as the usual teenage angst these kids have the extra worry of anyone finding out that their parents aren't quite the same as everyone else."

So has playing the cynical teacher for the last four years helped Dan in becoming the Genie and The Mandarin in Aladdin? "Well, I'm definitely used to being really quite silly which I'm sure is going to come in useful. I love playing Mr Whiteside but I'm very glad to stop wearing his terrible clothes for a while. I've been assured by Aladdin's fantastic designer that there'll be no tweed or leather elbow patches in any of my costumes!"

Dan has a long held affection for the Everyman, not least because it's where he started his repertory theatre career. "I first performed here about 15 years ago in When We Are Married and have been back at least 4 times with other productions. It's one of my favourite theatres to perform in and I just love Cheltenham as a town. Rehearsals are going really well and we're all counting down the days until Aladdin kicks off!"

Aladdin runs from Friday, November 28, to Saturday, January 10, and tickets, from £6.50 to £16, are available from the box office on 01242 572573