From Queen Vic to the Wicked Queen! Jessie Wallace trades Eastenders for the panto stage as she treads the boards in festive favourite Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Published: 20:42 GMT, 5 December 2017 | Updated: 12:11 GMT, 7 December 2017

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She's better known as the lovable if flawed Kat Slater on BBC soap EastEnders.

But Jessie Wallace was able to get her teeth into an entirely different character at the start of panto season by treading the boards as The Wicked Queen in Snow White.

The Enfield-born actress, 46, looked to be having a ball as the cruel character in a flowing lava coloured gown, at the Churchill Theatre, in Bromley on Monday.

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In character: Jessie Wallace was able to get her teeth into an entirely different character at the start of panto season, treading the boards as The Wicked Queen in Snow White. The Enfield actress, 46, looked to be having a ball as the cruel character, dressed in a flowing lava coloured gown, at the Churchill Theatre, in Hever, Kent on Monday

Starring in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jessie's show is set to run until the December 31, making it her third pantomime appearance following the success of Robin Hood and Cinderella.

Strutting around the stage, lapping up the boos from the 'baying' crowd, Jessie seemed to be having a ball as the fairy tale character.

Sporting a red horned tiara, Jessie's flame coloured lipstick matched her outfit as she channelled the devil in her fiery look.

Cruel Queen: Starring in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Jessie's show is set to run until the December 31, making it her third pantomime appearance following the success of Robin Hood and Cinderella

Action! Strutting around the stage, lapping up the boos from the 'baying' crowd, Jessie seemed to be having a ball as the fairy tale character

On stage she was joined by comedian and magician Pete Firman as Muddles and hilarious panto dame Jason Sutton as Nurse Nancy.

The show, set to run for a month, is expected to take in 34,000 theatregoers during its run.

Speaking beforehand, Jessie, who will spend Christmas day eating out with her family, told local papers: 'This is the first time I've played an evil character so I'm looking forward to playing someone nasty and being booed off stage.'

Evil laugh: Sporting a red horned tiara, Jessie's flame coloured lipstick matched her outfit as she channelled the devil in her fiery look

Evil stare: The popular character originally left the long-running show with screen husband Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie, in 2016

Act 1: On stage she was joined by comedian and magician Pete Firman as Muddles and hilarious panto dame Jason Sutton as Nurse Nancy

Enjoying her moment: The show, set to run for a month, is expected to take in 34,000 theatregoers during its run

The popular character originally left the long-running show with screen husband Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie, in 2016.

The move led to short-lived BBC spin-off Redwater, in which Cat and Alfie journeyed to rural Ireland in a desperate attempt to find her long lost son.

But with the show, produced by former EastEnders boss Dominic Treadwell-Collins, not expected to return with a second series, she remained defiantly coy about her reemergence in Walford, adding: 'Never say never, that's the standard answer.'

Back to Walford: Jessie left the long-running show with screen husband Alfie Moon, played by Shane Richie, in 2016. The move led to short-lived BBC spin-off Redwater, in which Cat and Alfie journeyed to rural Ireland in a desperate attempt to find her long lost son

Always room for improvement! Last years panto at the Churchill had a record attendance of 99% and this year is already set to beat that

Meanwhile, Jessie's and Eastenders co-star Shane Ritchie's long time friendship continues to flourish.

'This marriage has lasted longer than any of my real ones,' 53-year-old Shane joked, speaking to The Sun.

'We argue, then we won't talk for a day, and then we're talking again, and he makes me laugh all the time,' Jessie, chimed in.

'We just know each other really well as friends off-screen as well as actors,' added Shane. 'And we can tell each other what we're thinking, we can tell the truth to each other.