WHEN I meet Jessica Hardwick at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre, I have to do a double take. I've known the acclaimed young actress for many years, having taught her and her student actor colleagues when she was an extremely promising undergraduate at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

I should be able to recognise her anywhere. Not today, however. Today her trademark flowing, dark blonde locks are wrapped up in a tousled red wig.

She is in the midst of rehearsals for the Gorbals playhouse's Christmas show, Rapunzel, in which she plays the titular lead. As the wig suggests, the Citz's festive audiences are not about to be given a sanitised or Disneyfied version of the centuries'-old fairytale of the girl locked in the tower by a witch.

"It's the complete opposite of a girly Rapunzel," Hardwick explains, with obvious pleasure. "It's not sickly sweet, it's for boys and girls. "I spend most of the time in the show with my hair cut off and dressed as a wee boy. There's something really tomboyish about it. My character is very quirky and feisty."

The production is staged for the Citizens by experienced director Lu Kemp, using an adaptation by Annie Siddons which, in turn, is based on the famous version of the tale by the Brothers Grimm. Hardwick is delighted to be working with Siddons's script. "I knew the Grimm Brothers' version as a child", she says.

"Our play is based on that, so it's quite dark in places. That makes the lighter, more loving moments stand out. It's a show of real contrasts.

"There's something really satisfying in having that dark element in the story", she continues. "It's fun for children, too.

"I remember as a child reading the Grimms' Cinderella. The ugly sisters cut their toes off to get their feet in the glass slipper. That's fun, it's more exciting. It makes characters more interesting when there's a bit of danger in there."

In fact, Hardwick's enthusiasm for the show extends to every aspect of the production. The original music, which is played live on stage, is "cool", she says. "It's kind of folk-rocky, and it's got a grungy aspect to it."

The set, costume and puppet design are great, too, she tells me. "It's a typical Citz show. The set is very bare to start off with, then everything starts to grow and feed into it."

The flourishing of a garden around young Rapunzel could be a metaphor for Hardwick's career in recent years. She was the richly deserved recipient of a 2014 Billy Award, given to young actors by playwright and painter John Byrne in memory of the late Billy McColl.

That accolade came shortly after her superb performance as Sonya in Citizens director Dominic Hill's unforgettable production of Crime And Punishment. Other roles include Mathilde, the long-suffering, young wife of the poet Paul Verlaine, in Pamela Carter's play Slope, and Rima, beloved of the eponymous anti-hero in the recent Citz/Edinburgh International Festival staging of Alasdair Gray's epic novel Lanark.

Every one of these excellent performances has a common denominator. They have all been performed at the Citz. "I feel so lucky, I feel so grateful to this theatre," says Hardwick, with typical modesty.

The extraordinary history of the theatre supports actors, rather than intimidating them, she explains. Likewise its socially diverse audience.

"I feel like I'm in a deep love affair with the Citz," she says, laughing. And then she's gone, back onto the Citz's stage to become the most willing of captives.

Rapunzel runs at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow until January 3: citz.co.uk

Mark Brown also recommends:

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

Until January 3

The Lyceum is always a good bet for those who are looking for an alternative to traditional pantomimes. The Edinburgh playhouse is renowned for offering quality family theatre during the festive season, and this year is no different. Theresa Heskins's adaptation of C.S. Lewis's much loved tale of Aslan, Mr Tumnus et al promises to be another classy yuletide production.

SNOW WHITE

King's Theatre, Glasgow

December 4 to January 10

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who has the funniest panto of them all? From Stanley Baxter to the late, great Gerard Kelly, Glasgow's King's Theatre is legendary for its pantomime actors. This year the show is led by none other than Gregor Fisher. Expect a hilarious performance from the Rab C Nesbitt star, fresh from his excellent cross-dressed appearance in the National Theatre of Scotland's Yer Granny.

THE WITCHES

Dundee Rep

Until December 31

The Tayside theatre has a fine track record of staging excellent alternatives to the big stage pantos, oh yes it has! Which is not to say there will be no raucous humour in this year's show. You can be sure of larger-than-life characters, terrible events and extremely silly humour in this adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous story of the child-hating witches.

PETER PAN

SECC, Glasgow

December 12 to January 3

If it's a celebrity panto you're after, the SECC's show has swapped Scots-American TV star John Barrowman for another big name from the States. David "the Hoff" Hasselhoff reprises his chosen pantomime role of Captain Hook (which he has played in Westcliff-on-Sea, Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol and Cardiff in recent years). The Knight Rider and Baywatch star is supported by The Krankies and Michelle McManus.