Martin Compston is set to make a surprise guest cameo in Inverclyde’s annual pantomime this Christmas.

The Line of Duty star might be more used to being on TV and in cinema but he’s set to join Still Game duo Jane McCarry and Mark Cox as part of the show.

The actor will voice the giant in Beacon Arts Centre’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk. He’s already been at the Greenock Venue to record his part of the show and will be the voice behind Giant Greedy Guts on the stage.

The 40-year-old grew up in Greenock and revealed he always wanted to be a part of the pantomime, and now he’s got his chance.

He said: “I’ve played a wide variety of roles over the years, but the request from the Beacon Arts Centre to become the voice of Giant Greedy Guts was one I just couldn’t resist.

The cast of the showThe cast of the show (Image: Christopher Bowen Photography)

“Being born and brought up in Greenock, I know what a brilliant panto the Beacon puts on for everyone in Inverclyde, and for most kids it’s their first taste of theatre.

“I hope I can add a touch of Greenock magic to Jack and the Beanstalk and can’t wait to hear how it goes down with the audience.”

The show also includes Still Game’s Isa and Tam as well as River City actor Jimmy Chisolm, who plays Sonny Caplan in the Glasgow soap, as well as Inverclyde favourite Lee Samuel.

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The show is produced in-house by Beacon and 2-23 was a record-breaking year for it, with more than 17,500 audience members coming to see the show and drawing rave reviews from critics across the country.

The 2024 run gets underway on Saturday, December 7 with multiple performances running over the festival period until Hogmanay.

Beacon co-director Karen Townsend said: “Martin is a giant of the Scottish screen so lending his voice to our giant here at the Beacon is a perfect match.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome him to our Beacon panto team, and we are so excited to share the show with audiences when the curtain goes up.

“We are rightly proud of all our cast, crew and the Beacon team for putting on such a great show and it promises to be a fun-filled night for all the family.”