They wait, peeping through the curtains at the back, for each passenger to drift into a sumptuous sleep. When the last pair of eyes close, they jump out and line the galleys to practice their dance steps, their lines and their songs. All the while, those British Airways passengers slumber on oblivious, dreaming of the exotic destination at the end of their long haul flight.

The British Airways Cabin Crew Entertainment Society (BACCES) has been putting on pantomimes at every year since 1971 to raise money for various charities. For the first time this year, the fundraising theatricals are leaving their former home The Beck Theatre and jetting off to Watford Palace Theatre with the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

BA cabin crew Nick Young, who will be playing the role of Lance de Boil, says: "It is great fun and the best part is seeing the reaction when you give the money you have raised to charity.

"Lance de Boil is a baddie, who needs the evil Maleficent to do his dirty work for him," Nick adds. "He is a distant relative of the royal family and has a real chip on his shoulder."

In the past, Nick, who enjoys playing the villain the most as it comes "naturally" to him, has performed as the Dame, the Prince, Buttons as well as being part of the chorus. "My favourite role," he says, "would have to be Abanazar in Aladdin in 2013, but I also thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of playing Sarah Suet, the Dame in Dick Whittington."

But with cabin crews on various flights and often in different counties, getting all 28 cast members, which includes two who have appeared on stage every year since 1971, to rehearsals at the same time is a difficult task, and it is likely that they will only rehearse altogether four times before their debut performance, explains Nick.

However, to compensate, they rehearse whenever they can, wherever they can he says - "a number of years ago, many of the cast were in Bangkok, so it was the perfect opportunity to rehearse both on and off the aircraft.

"Dance steps and lines were being practised in the galleys in the middle of the night when passengers were asleep. Likewise the dance studio in the hotel gym was used to rehearse dance routines. It certainly grabbed people's attention.

"I have been heard unknowingly singing while walking through the aircraft," Nick continues, "in fact, on a flight to Miami last week, a fellow crew member pointed out to me that I was singing Copa Cabana. I was oblivious."

BACCES, who have won the coveted It's Behind You Award for Best Panto in the London region by the National Operative and Dramatic Association for their production of Dick Whittington in 2014, and were the runner up for Jack and the Beanstalk in 2015, will be staging Sleeping Beauty for the fourth time.

In the 2005 production of the fairy tale, Nick played the part of one of the princes, and says it was one of the few times where he has "fluffed" his lines.

"I walked on stage and my mind went blank. I simply had no idea what I was supposed to say - even with prompting I still had no clue as to what I was meant to be saying. It was probably the most awkward 30 seconds of my life. Thankfully another very experienced and quick thinking cast member continued with her lines."

BACCES has made more than £140,000 in cash donations to charities in the last ten years and donated an excess of a £1 million in their 45 years. The money raised from this year's production will go to Watford Mencap, Watford Town Centre Chaplaincy, ASCEND, Homestart Watford and Three Rivers, the south Herts branch of Motor Neurone Disease Association, Nicki's Smile, Mind and Batten Disease Family Association.

Sleeping Beauty will be at Watford Palace Theatre from January 13 to 17. Details: BACCES and Watford Palace Theatre.