WELL, splice the mainbrace, The Stables' Christmas show is a story to treasure.

The crew from Northern Broadsides Theatre Company sailed into the venue recently to promote its epic yarn, Treasure Island, which will be providing landlubbers with thrills galore from December 22.

But you might get a sense of deja vu when seeing Scots-born actor Graeme Dalling decked out as its star, Jim Hawkins, the adventure-loving teenager who sets sail with cut-throat pirates in search of buried treasure.

For it's the second time in 18-months that the 24-year-old performer, who has appeared in two of the nation's favourite TV soaps, has featured in the Robert Louis Stevenson classic.

Graeme had a small part as pirate Dick Johnson in another production of the sea-faring tale that visited Milton Keynes Theatre in 2008.

This time around the handsome blond is sure to capture the hearts of all the young girls in the audience when he takes the helm of a new show from the award-winning theatre company behind last year's quirky hit, Heidi, A Goats Tale.

But there's no-one dressed up as woolly goats in this tale of derring-do on the high seas. Instead we have one of literature's greatest villains, Long John Silver, walking the gangplank and steering young Jim through his quest to find buried treasure.

There will be swashbuckling sword fights, live music, skeletons, storms and lots of fun aboard the Hispaniola.

If you blink you may have missed Graeme's guest appearances in Hollyoaks and Doctors but starring in two of the nation's favourite soaps still looks good on the CV.

Fresh out of drama school the youngster was delighted to land the two top jobs.

"In Doctors I played a baddie who pushed a boy down a flight of stairs but I got my come uppance," he said.

"In Hollyoaks I played a boy racer called Shane. I was only in one episode.

"The production of soaps is very smooth. You get taken to your hotel, picked up, taken to costume, all very professional. I loved the thrill of being on a set.

"In theatre you have to imagine you're on a boat or island but on TV or film you may get to go to a location to do your scenes. You just have to try and blank out the cameras!

"But I love the theatre. There's nothing better than being on stage and getting that reaction from an audience. It's a real roller-coaster and every night is different.

"I laughed when I had the audition for this version of Treasure Island.

"I thought 'another production of Treasure Island!' But this time I'm playing the Jim Hawkins and I think it's going to be a very different show.

"I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it.

"Being Scottish, Treasure Island is one of those books that was bandied about when I was at school and Stevenson is one of the great Scottish writers, so everyone is aware of it.

"I knew the story quite well. Often other people say they don't know it but they've all heard of Long John Silver and 'Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum'. That all stemmed from Treasure Island. It has seeped into the public consciousness".

Graeme dreams of a time when the work comes to him rather than having to face endless auditions.

"I would love to get into TV and film especially as I've had a little taster of it. It really interests and excites me.

"I was never really taken to the theatre as a kid so I discovered my love of acting through the cinema.

"I'm a great fan of Steven Spielberg because he does big adventure tales. I watched those stories and wanted to be like the characters.

"My favourites were the Indiana Jones films and ET but my overall favourite was Jaws.

"I want to affect people the way those actors affected me.
"The dream is to eventually not having to seek work but work seeking me. I'm still young!"

*Director Adam Sunderland joined Northern Broadsides three years ago with a mandate to bring classic family novels to the stage. He started with Water Babies, moved on to last year's acclaimed Heidi and is back with a cast of scurvy pirates.

"What a fantastic story," he said. "It's got everything. All the drama, the comedy, it's got one of the greatest characters of all time in Long John Silver, but even the other characters, Ben Gunn, Black Dog, Blind Pew, are tremendous.

"It's a story about a young boy's journey into adulthood. There are no goats this year but we have a jazz double bass!

"We like the audiences to use their imaginations. Much of the inventiveness you saw in Heidi is recreated here".

The Yorkshire-based theatre company like to allow its actors to talk naturally and not affect the posh received pronunciation favoured by traditional groups.

"I really wanted to resist "Ooh, argh, Jim lad" and I know that's what we all think of with Treasure Island," said Adam.

"We have a little bit of trouble when we come down south to you lot. You don't understand a word we're saying! But pirates came from anywhere so there will be quite a mix of accents."

And Adam isn't shying away from the darkness of the tale – or its gory scenes.

"There's a scene where a doctor lets blood. It's all part of the rites of passage and kids will love that – a big squirt of blood!

"It's quite a dark tale. Children's fairy tales are dark. Kids need to assimilate this stuff. We shouldn't be too afraid of the dark.

"It has to be thrilling, entertaining and uplifting. Once you're in there and the lights go down you're transported to a thrilling, exciting world. We need a bit of dark so that we know what the light is.

"Adults get very protective of children and I really wish they shouldn't. I'm not shying away from the dark elements. They're in there and they're gripping and the kids will be gripped and thrilled.

"We have some wonderful actors. I wanted huge people to contrast with Graham who is only 5ft 5ins. The captain is 6ft 5ins, and as broad, so you get a sense of a boy in a man's world.

"I'm hungry as a director. We know Heidi was a success and now we want to do something different.

"I sat down with the writer, Andy Pollard, who has adapted the story, and we decided to cut all the narration which young people find a bit dull. We just tell the story through the action.

"It wasn't one of my favourite books as a child but Andy gave it to me, I read it and thought, what a story! Its characters!

Long John Silver is one of the best characters in literature."

Treasure Island runs from December 22 until January 9. For tickets and information call the box office 01908 280800 or go online www.stables.org

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