Actress Holly Matthews to return to stage in Aladdin pantomime 13 years after first performing in theatre show

A mum-of-two is taking centre stage as a princess in her local pantomine again - 13 years after she first starred in the role in the Christmas stage show.

Holly Matthews, who is also a hypnotherapist, a former actress and founder of best-selling book and podcast The Happy Me Project, is preparing to transform in to Princess Jasmine in the story of Aladdin. She has not been on the stage at a theatre since she first took on the role in 2010, when she was pregnant with her eldest child. But, this time around, her two daughters will be acting opposite her so she doesn't feel too daunted by the prospect.

She told NationalWorld: "It’s been a kind of 'blink and you will miss it' 13 years packed full of a whole heap of stuff in between. I’m really excited to be back on stage again and it feels very comforting in a weird way too. I was so young when I started acting and it feels like riding a bike. It was always my safest space as a child to be on set or on stage." She also added that she is looking forward to making a "lovely memory" with her two children.

Matthews, who starred in BBC youth drama Byker Grove and has more recently acted in BBC school drama Waterloo Road, was 26 the first time she performed as Jasmine during a production of Aladdin in Harlow, Essex, in 2010 and was six months pregnant with her first child Brooke Blair, who is now aged 12. This time, she's a 39-year-old mother-of-two and will be performing at Stratford Playhouse, Stratford Upon Avon. Her second daughter, Texas Blair, is 10.

She said: "Pantomime's often the most exhausting thing to be involved in and when I did it six months pregnant I actually had to take Christmas Eve off because I got sick. It was way more challenging being that pregnant and on stage. I’m definitely excited to not have a huge belly. I’m also excited to introduce my daughters to the world that I know very well." She said that it felt like a "such a circular" thing to return to the stage as Jasmine, which "made [her] smile".

She added: "I’m not sure I will ever get the opportunity to do this with my daughters again. Certainly not when they are the age that they are. I just felt like a lovely memory could be made. Although they have always known that I was an actor and have seen me in TV shows, they have never watched me perform on stage. It will be nice to introduce them to something. I am very well versed in"

Proud of performing with her daughters

A lot has changed in Matthews' life since she last played Jasmine. In 2017, her husband Ross Blair died at the age of 32 following a three-year battle with a brain tumour. After the loss of her husband. she launched The Happy Me Project online, which she describes as "the no-nonsense guide to self-development." The brand has led to the creation of a best-selling book and podcast of the same name. She now has tens of thousands of followers across her various social media platforms.

She said that the challenges she has faced in her personal life have impacted how she "shows up in the world", including her attitude towards returning to the stage once again. "Prior to my husband’s death I was very much focused on being an actor, and that was all encompassing and often very anxiety driven. I would go into an audition room desperate for the part, it felt like everything. Going into the role now it feels like going back to why I wanted to be an actor in the first place - creativity, fun and getting to be a massive child. That has definitely come from recognising what is important and what is not and where to focus my attention."

Brooke and Texas will share some scenes with their mum, who said she is "proud" that all three of them will be performing together. But, that hasn't stopped her pre-teen daughters asking a rather awkward question, or her embarrasing them in front of their fellow cast members. She said: "My daughter, Brooke initially said. ‘why are you being classed as Jasmine you are so old’ to which I reminded her that people are quite far away and there are bright lights so maybe I’ll get away with it!

"Other than that, though my daughters are always very supportive and we encourage the mentality of cheerleading each other and supporting each other in all that we do. I have however already been told I’m embarrassing in rehearsals though which I believe is my right, as a parent, to be."

Ross is also never far from Matthews' thoughts. She said: "Ross would have absolutely loved the fact that we were all on stage together. He was my biggest fan and made a huge fuss any time I was doing anything. That definitely does make me feel a little emotional to think about, but I’m proud of that me and the girls are doing something like this together."

'Aladdin! - A Musical Panto' is at the Stratford Play House, Stratford-upon-Avon, from Friday December 15 to Sunday December 31. There are performances every day except Christmas Day and times vary by day. To see Holly, Brooke and Texas perform together you can book your tickets on the Stratford Playhouse website.