Doctor Who and Frankenstein inspire pantomime propmaker

That is the unusual welcome people get when they knock on the door of the Great Yarmouth seafront home of horror and sci-fan fan Mark Williams.

Mark Williams with his Dalek (Image: Richard Batson)

Mr Williams has filled his home with a small army of movie and television props he has made, including a Dalek guarding his front door, Doctor Who's Tardis, a Boris Karloff Frankenstein monster, vampires and Planet of the Ape masks and a bust of horror legend Lon Chaney.

Mark Williams puts the finishing touches to a pantomime golden egg (Image: Richard Batson)

And under the watchful eyes of his bizarre and out of this world collection, Mr Williams has used his prop making skills to good effect to help bring pantomime magic to Yarmouth and Sheringham theatres.

Mr Williams has made props for Yarmouth-based St George's Theatre pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, which will also be performed at the Sheringham Little Theatre.

The part-time handyman at the theatre made a chicken, golden eggs, a giant apple pie, books and a harp for the fun-filled show in his front room as his Frankenstein monster creation and other props, such as an evil Kraal and reptilian Draconian from Doctor Who and Dracula looked on.

Some of Mark Williams' masks, including a Kraal and Draconian from Doctor Who and an ape from Planet of the Apes (Image: Richard Batson)

Mr Williams moved to Yarmouth 37 years ago and lives by North Beach after he carried out movie projection, stage and maintenance work at London’s famous Hammersmith Odeon theatre.

He said: "Props have always been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid and used to take casts of people’s faces to make masks from the Planet of the Apes.

“I taught myself extra skills from books –and used to modify my Action Man figures to give them different heads such as Frankenstein’s monster or movie comedian Will Hay."

Upstairs in the prop-filled home there is a bathroom with a life-sized Jolly Jack sailor sitting on a barrel, and two bedrooms – one sci-fi themed and accessed through Tardis doors, the other based on Alice in Wonderland with cards tumbling down the wall.

The sci-fi bedroom (Image: Richard Batson)

Debbie Thompson, director of both panto venues, said: "We were lucky to find a man like Mark with such creativity and skills in our midst to create some brilliant props that are a key part of the panto."

The Alice in Wonderland bedroom (Image: Richard Batson)

For times, tickets and prices visit www.stgeorgestheatre.com or call 01493 331484 or www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or call 01263 822347.

Mark Williams with a panto harp (Image: Richard Batson)

A Lon Chaney bust with Doctor Who villlian Davros in the background (Image: Richard Batson)