It's that time of year again when the theatres are flooded with excited families, eager to catch a glimpse of the annual festive offering of the pantomime.
I have seen many pantos over the years, but the latest offering at Manchester’s Opera House is, quite honestly, the best I have ever seen!
The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan flew onto the stage recently and what an absolute joy it is!
Starring comedians Jason Manford and Ben Nickless, the show packs fun, mayhem and comedy onto the stage and had everyone in the audience, young and old, enjoying every single minute.
The story follows on from what could have happened if Wendy returned to Neverland to try and find Peter (Ross Carpenter) again, following a visit from Tink (not Tinker Bell), played by Samara Casteallo.
Wendy, played by Jessica Croll, is tasked with finding the magic pixie dust which has been lost, meaning Peter can no longer fly.
There she encounters the dastardly Captain Hook, played superbly by Jason Manford, who admits that this is his first panto role. The Manchester comedian is spot-on as the menacing Hook, but he also drifts back into his own persona as he chats to the audience, superbly ad-libbing along the way.
He is supported by panto favourite Ben Nickless - in his fourth pantomime in Manchester.
Ben, who played Smee, is a comedy genius and lit up the whole stage when he entered. The audience lapped up his one-liners and physical comedy, think of a cross between Norman Wisdom and Bobby Ball and you would be spot-on.
The two comedians bounced off each other effortlessly and made a fantastic comedy duo. This was especially evident when they dressed as two over-sized mermaids discussing various dating mishaps.
The Lost Boys were played by the Acromaniacs, who bounced, tumbled and threw themselves around the stage in a series of slapstick acrobatic comedy.
Smee gets involved in one of their routines, to much hilarity.
The staging was perfectly done, especially when the cast mingled with the audience to take part in Never Smile At A Crocodile, with a giant surprise on stage!
The panto also showcased a new rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas which had the cast doubled up in laughter as they tried to negotiate their way through the various props.
This was followed by a medley of hymns from Jason Manford’s new album Assembly Bangers, produced to raise money for the Trussell Trust. Everyone was on their feet singing along to the school-time favourites as the snow fell gently on the audience - a fitting and fantastic way to end the evening.
As I left the theatre to make my way back into the cold Manchester night-time air, I heard one little girl say to her mum that she wanted to see it all again - and I don’t blame her - I do too!
