A MAN with cystic fibrosis will appear onstage next month in a pantomime he wrote while in hospital waiting for a double lung transplant.

Charles Michael Duke, 23, from Highcliffe, was onstage at the Regent Centre appearing in the annual Christmas Spectacular written by his mum when his lungs collapsed in 2015.

While waiting for a double lung transplant, Charles contacted his friend, Stephen Hutt, who lives in the states to see if they could write a new pantomime together.

Charles is a longstanding member of Highcliffe Charity Players who perform the annual new year pantomime at the Regent and knew that the company had planned to perform Cinderella in January.

Charles and Stephen wrote their version of Cinderella across the Atlantic using the internet with Charles having to spend two weeks in hospital each month to stabilise his condition.

After submitting their script for consideration, Charles received a call about his double lung transplant after waiting for more than three-and-a-half years.

Following a successful operation, Charles found out Highcliffe Charity Players had decided to perform his and Stephen's version of Cinderella at the Regent and he had landed the role of Buttons.

Charles said: “Stephen and I had great fun collaborating and were delighted when Highcliffe Charity Players chose to stage our version.

“Then, to top it all, I landed the role of Buttons, which has proved a very special part for me - it was my ever first principal role with my old lungs, and is now my first principal role with my new ones. I haven’t been fit enough to perform for four years, so I can’t wait to get back on stage,” he added.

Charles spends much of his time raising awareness of cystic fibrosis and organ donation and has appeared on Loose Women, Sunday Morning Live and BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat. His YouTube videos have attracted more than 100,000 views.

Cinderella runs at the Regent Centre for 10 performances between January 19 and 26.