MAKING the most of the musical talent of its cast, this panto production has an abundance of colourful costumes and traditional comedy routines along with a wide selection of songs old and new for the audience to enjoy.

Nicky Stevens, formerly Eurovision winner with Brotherhood of Man, is in fine vocal form in the role of the wicked stepmother in this Ron Martin production which fields a good looking cast that includes a host of local youngsters for the dance routines.

A grotesque pair of ugly sisters, played by Lee Redwood and Chris Carr, keep the comedy action spinning along, aided by hardworking Steven Ritchie as Buttons and Yorkshire lass Gabriella Grace Elliott as a chaotic fairy godmother. Plenty of opportunities are also laid on for the audience to join in the fun and they never miss a chance to shout and make themselves heard.

A pretty Cinderella, Juliette Longworth-Dean is stuck with a Prince Charming in the person of Paul Cammack who has all the charisma of a poker in a production that, at nearly three hours long, would benefit from a little judicious trimming.

The convolutions of the plot usually go over the heads of young panto audiences and a bit less dialogue would sharpen up the pace while a song or two fewer would speed things up nicely.

The pre-recorded musical accompaniment is better than one might expect and the overall presentation of the panto is of a good professional standard, making it a firm family favourite for the festive season.

The production continues until January 5th and it is to the credit of all concerned that Weymouth people can still visit a professional show so close to home in their own theatre, long may it continue.