But Matthew Bloxham, who plays permanently-hungry Shaggy in Scooby Doo! And the Pirate Ghost from next Friday at the Sunderland Empire, does.

The 28-year-old said: "It's weird playing opposite a man dressed up as a dog, but the actor who does Scooby's voice is so good, it's totally believable. It really comes to life."

Following on from sell-out seasons in 2005 and 2007, this all-new show has all the old favourites from Mystery Inc, including Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne and Fred, but has been jazzed up with more music and visual effects.

Matthew said: "It's like the best episode of Scooby Doo you have ever watched – in 3D – with haunted hotels, stinky swamps and pirate camps. It's a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

"Me and Scooby also have big banquets, stuffing our faces."

Like most boys, Matthew was a big fan of the cartoon as a child, but, having played King Lear at drama school, never thought he'd one day end up playing a squeaky-voiced Californian teen whose best friend is a talking dog.

"From Shakespeare to cartoon characters is a bit weird," he laughed.

"If someone had said to me 'in 20 years' time you will play Shaggy', I wouldn't have believed it."

When asked who the play was for, he was keen to point out that, though essentially for children, it is full of material which parents will also enjoy.

"Adults have said afterwards they really enjoyed it. There are some good jokes for them in there, so we cover all the bases."

Having been on tour since February, he admitted he has found the role more physically demanding than he'd expected.

"It's been going excellently. It's a demanding tour, but we're lucky because, outside of the actual play, we all get on.

"Me and Scooby run around for the whole play as if we are scared the whole time, so I have to get physically warmed up.

"I also have to warm up my voice, as it's a difficult one to get. At the pitch that Shaggy speaks at, if you don't warm up, it really hurts!

"But I have learnt a lot about acting by doing this. In this play, you have to do it 100 per cent."

Though Shaggy is perhaps one of the most laconic characters in the history of animation, Matthew feels it's important to portray such an icon as accurately as he can.

"It's a big responsibility to get it right, and I try my best," he says.
Though brought up in Cheshire, he was born in Middlesbrough, and has a real affinity for North East England.

"I was in Billingham a few weeks ago," he says. "It was interesting to go back to near where I was born.

"The crowds in the north east are amazing. We want crowds to shout and cheer, and if Billingham is anything to go by, it will be fantastic in Sunderland. We are looking forward to it a lot."

Scooby Doo fans will know what my final question was.

Does anyone say, 'we would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for those pesky kids'?

"No, they actually say 'meddling kids," laughs Matthew – and with a 'zoinks' for good luck, Shaggy was gone.