HE is renowned as one of the country's most recognisable bad boys.

HE is renowned as one of the country's most recognisable bad boys.

And flying into Lowestoft this December to play the lead role in the pantomime Aladdin will be Nigel Pivaro – in the guise of a scheming sorcerer,

Fresh from his recent return to the cobbles of Coronation Street, Pivaro – aka Jack and Vera's wide boy son Terry Duckworth – will hit the stage at the Marina Theatre as the evil Abanazar for their festive pantomime.

Loathed by millions for his on-screen portrayal of the Street's iconic character, Terry Duckworth, he is now set to leave a trail of pantomime menace and meanness at the Marina as he swaps the cobbles of Weatherfield for the Lowestoft theatreboards in Aladdin.

The star said: 'It will be an interesting pleasure to work in the historic seafaring town of Lowestoft. Its residents are hardy, inventive and resilient from its fishing roots to leading the way in renewable energy. However my stage persona will not be undergoing any such transformation as I will be sticking to the script to perform one of the most dastardly pantomime villains known to man!'

RADA trained, Nigel first joined Coronation Street in August 1983. He had initially auditioned for the role of Curly Watts and so impressed producers they asked him to audition for the role of Terry.

Since then his many wicked ways – from breaking his parents' and girlfriends' hearts, to selling his own son – have propelled him to become one of the soap villains that everyone loves to hate.

Having appeared in the long-running British soap opera throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, his last appearance was in January 2008 when his character attended the funeral of his mother Vera.

But Nigel's recent return to the cobbles in the past few weeks have proved to be a ratings hit.

The soap opera villain returned to Coronation Street to open a lap-dancing club, immediately infuriating the residents. He then punched his son Tommy and a row with his son's girlfriend escalated to the point where she was left unconscious.

Pantomime producer Paul Holman, from Paul Holman Associates said: 'Nigel is the archetypical soap baddie. He has so much experience to bring to the production of Aladdin at the Marina Theatre and we're thrilled to have him on board.'

Life away from Coronation Street has seen Nigel appear in Hetty Wainthrop Investigates, The Bill, Expert Witness and the Channel 4 short-film Sunny Side of the Street.

He has an extensive background in repertory theatre and has appeared in many pantomimes across the country, always playing the villain and always whipping up audiences into a barrage of boos and a hail of hissing!

Nigel will be joining an exciting cast of colourful characters in Aladdin – with more stars to be announced in forthcoming weeks.

Aladdin, from award-winning producers Paul Holman Associates, is set to land in Lowestoft this December and it runs from December 18 to January 6, 2013.

Tickets are on sale now, with special discounted pricing for early bookings, available at the box office or by calling 01502 533200.