While Father Christmas is reading your letters and preparing for his interactive play for little theatregoers in Oxford’s Burton Taylor Theatre which starts today, we thought we’d turn the tables and ask him a few questions. So here goes. Everything you’d ever wanted to know about Santa Claus and more.

l Dear Father Christmas. We can’t wait to see you in Oxford. How are you going to get here?

I will use my normal means of transport – my sleigh, with the help of my nine reindeer friends. I wonder if you know their names? I shall park my sleigh on top of the Oxford sleigh-house, or was it Playhouse?

lWhy are you coming?

I receive a lot of letters from children in Oxford and I have asked the Oxford Playhouse to look after my post for me. I will use my time here to reply to my many letters and also to meet some of the wonderful children who write to me.

lWhat are you going to tell everyone about?

I want to tell people about life at the North Pole. The fun my friends and I have there when we’re preparing for Christmas, and also some of the challenges.

lWho is coming with you?

Aside from the reindeer, we’re quite a merry party. There’s my chief elf who organises my post-room, Mr Tick-Tock the time-engineer, not to mention the mellifluous neighbours Deirdre and Allan.

lWill you have time to get home in time to get everything ready for Christmas Eve?

Mr Tick-Tock has a wonderful plan to make sure I’m not late. it’s always a close call but Time is on my side. I wouldn’t want to disappoint anybody.

lHow long do you spend preparing for Christmas?

A very long time! We have to design and make toys, wrap them, pack them, and load them onto the sleigh. The administration is the biggest job – the amount of post can be quite alarming!

lHow do you manage Christmas Eve?

With a LOT of sherry and mince pies!

lWhat do you do on Christmas Day?

We all have a much-needed lie-in and then we give each other surprise presents and eat a big Christmas lunch.

lWhen do you start thinking about next year’s big day?

We’re already thinking about Christmas 2012! There are so many children counting on us to find their perfect present! I’m lucky to have so many elves and giants working for me.

lWhat do you want for Christmas?

The thing I like the most is seeing the smiling faces of children; that’s the best present of all.

lHow do you eat all those mince pies?

I’m on the hunt for the best mince pie in the world, so I like to test them all. Working at the North Pole burns a lot of calories, you know!

lIs there a message you’d like to leave the children?

Yes, if I can’t bring you everything you asked for, I hope you will enjoy what you do receive on the day.

* The world premiere of Dear Father Christmas comes to Oxford’s Burton Taylor Theatre from today until Christmas Eve. So come to Father Christmas’s post-room, where you can help save Christmas! There will be stories, songs and decoration making, and you can meet the jolly man himself and his helpers, in this interactive adventure for young children and their families. You can also make your own elf hat and decorations to colour in at oxfordplayhouse.com Call the box office on 01865 305305.