IMAGINE Snow White smeared with mud and writhing around on stage with a stud.

That's just what actress Colette Bibby was doing in her previous stage role, which she takes up again in two weeks after her appearance as Snow White at The Mayflower, Southampton, comes to an end.

She appears with Oliver Tobias - who famously starred with Joan Collins in the erotic 1970s movie The Stud - in the musical La Cava.

The epic costume drama, set in the eighth century, is in complete contrast to Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, about which Colette says: "I am the traditional part of the fairytale. And, although they love her and she makes them laugh, I'm the one all the kids are rooting for when the Wicked Queen, played by Lily Savage, tries to entice me to eat the apple.

"I enjoy this because I get to do all aspects of a stage show. I sing and dance and act, which is great. With pantomime, you get such a short rehearsal period and then you're on stage. It's a big learning process."

Colette first appeared in this version of Snow White when it premiered in Birmingham in 1999.

"The show is an original. It was written, directed and costumed especially for us, so it was exciting because it was all brand new," she says.

At first the young actress found it a bit daunting appearing alongside such a strong character as Lily Savage in one of her first roles after leaving stage school.

"Of course, he is a big star - and getting bigger by the minute," she says.

"But we have such a laugh socialising between shows, and Paul O'Grady, who plays Lily, is one of the team. He comes into the dressing-room and we have a chat.

"It's really nice, and I think it shows when we're on stage."

During their backstage get-togethers, Lily has been sharing some beauty tips with the gorgeous-looking Snow White, such as "back-comb that hair" and "paint your nails red".

Colette says she enjoys working in panto, but is looking forward to taking on some straight theatrical roles now and can't wait to get back to the West End and La Cava, where she has a major role and is also one of the peasant girls.

"It's all very earthy. Oliver Tobias and I have mud smeared all over us!" Beat that, Lily!