The Alhambra pantomime is a bit of a macho affair, what with all that swashbuckling and sword-fighting, but its two female stars have proved to be a match for any pirate.

It's a very physical show for Rhoda Montemayor, who plays the title role of Peter Pan. Not only does she spend much of it flying above the stage, she also learned sword fighting from scratch.

"I wear a harness which is like having a piece of wood strapped to my back, it take some getting used to," says Rhoda. "I wear it pretty much the whole time, although after I'd done a few shows I spotted a window' when I'm not required to fly on stage so I had time to take the harness off for a couple of scenes.

"The flying took some getting used to. Once you're in the air the harness spins around so you have to keep moving the legs to face the front.

"And of course we have to sing and act up there too! There's a scene at the beginning when I fly through the nursery window, I still have to be careful not to crash into anything!

"Because it's such a physical show it's a workout in itself. I keep thinking I'll go to the gym between performances but all I want to do is sleep!"

Another challenge for Rhoda was the sword-fighting. "I was new to it and had to learn it very quickly. At the beginning I had to practise every day but I've got the hang of it now and really enjoy it," she says. "We had a couple of accidents in rehearsals but thankfully nothing too serious!"

It's Rhoda's first time as Peter Pan and she's enjoying playing a boy. "You don't have the pressure of having to look pretty and dainty all the time, like you do with female roles," she grins.

"Although I do occasionally get children in the audience peering up at me, shouting You're a girl!' "I like the fact that Peter is a lively character; he's a hero but he's also a bit cheeky."

Rhoda, who is Filipino, is no stranger to JM Barrie's much-loved children's story, having played Red Indian princess Tiger Lily both on stage and in 2004 movie Finding Neverland, starring Kate Winslet and Johnny Depp.

In the film, about Barrie's friendship with a family who inspired him to write Peter Pan, Tiger Lily appears as a figment of his imagination.

"It was an amazing experience," says Rhoda. "I didn't do many scenes with Johnny Depp but I met him and he was lovely, very friendly and totally beautiful - even more so than in pictures or on the screen."

A trained dancer, Rhoda has worked in theatre and television, and her latest role is Rose Ortiz in TV's Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive. "It's so much fun. A lot of children know me from that," she says. "I've also just filmed scenes for a film called Adulthood. It's the sequel to Kidulthood which came out a couple of years ago."

Playing Tiger Lily is Roni Elizabeth Hart, who has given her a sassy edge, playing her as a streetwise lass with a broad Yorkshire accent.

"She was going to be an American, with a Deep South Louisiana accent, but then we settled on Yorkshire!" says Roni, who's from Huddersfield.

"She's very earthy and urban. I like the fact that there's something unexpected about her. She's often played with a traditional Red Indian accent - Me big chief', that kind of thing - but we've given her a bit of Northern attitude."

Roni's theatre roles include Jesus Christ Superstar and A Chorus Line. She sang in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall and even represented Malta in the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest. Playing Tiger Lily gives her the chance to belt out some big numbers.

She has worked with Billy Pearce a couple of times; in Cinderella at the Alhambra a few years ago and in Boogie Nights in Blackpool.

"He's great, I love his spontaneity," says Roni. "We all bounce off each other on stage. You have to remember that for each audience it's the first time they've seen the show so even though we've been doing it for weeks we keep it fresh for them. We're like a big family, I'll miss them all afterwards."

While Roni enjoys live theatre, there's one small screen role she'd love. "I'm a huge Coronation Street fan, it's my dream to be in that," she says.

"We have TVs in our dressing rooms and I try to watch it before I go on stage, while listening out for my curtain call!"

  • Peter Pan runs at the Alhambra until January 27. For tickets ring (01274) 432000.