Review: Cinderella ****

If it's good old traditional family pantomime you are seeking this Christmas, then head to the Grand Opera House.

The reputedly 1,000-year-old rags to riches tale of Cinderella fits beautifully into the chocolate box surroundings.

From the moment the curtain rises, this production oozes with vitality, energy and a magic that spills over the footlights, leaving young audience members transfixed until the final curtain.

The costumes are lavish, sets storybook-like but, above all, it has an air of nostalgia and it's packed with endless opportunities for audience participation, which is what a good panto should be all about.

The jokes may have whiskers on, "I've just been for a tramp in the woods but he got away", there's the "it's behind you" ghost gag, the false leg at the slipper trying, in fact all the things synonymous with the great British pantomime, in Cinderella.

Sunday night's performance saw understudy Andrew Fitch playing the role of Buttons – and giving one of the best performances of the character I have seen over the last few decades.

He has boundless energy, excellent comedy timing and in the "Do you love me Cinders?" scene, he brought out the loveable warmth of the character skillfully coupled with

pathos.

In pantoland this young man should go far and if they have any sense, theatre managers should be queuing up to sign him for next year's productions.

As Prince Charming, Jason Lee Scott has the stage personality, looks and singing voice that blends perfectly with Suzanne Carley's sweet-voiced and pretty Cinders, while understudy Samuel Cook brought a suave new look to Dandini.

Milkshake's Jen Pringle is a warm, appealing and believable fairy, with veteran comedian Syd Little plodding his way through as Baron Hardup alongside his formidable dragon wife Lisa Riley.

As the uglies, Paul Critchlow (Buttercup) and Sean Luckham (Daisy) are bold, brash, bordering on the grotesque and sufficiently wicked, however losing a wig (I suspect as part of a cod-dry – where the audience think it's an accident but it's not) was a little self-indulgence, which for some kids totally destroyed the evening's magical illusion.

To January 2.