Is panto as magical as ever? Oh yes, it is!

THEY had promised us Aladdin as never seen before and certainly nobody in the audience at the Theatre Royal could have expected anything quite like what this version of the traditional tale delivered over the course of two hours or so. And like that lamp at the heart of it all, it proved magical.

- By BARBARA HODGSON

The latest panto by West End producer Michael Harrison, who's from Wallsend and comes back each year to bring us the annual show that he also writes and directs, marks the 20-year anniversary of its stars Clive Webb and Danny Adams.

And, with its creator and the city theatre sharing in the milestone, there's a real air of celebration about it this time.

It opens with an explosion of colour and music as Joe McElderry - who is back with the team for a fifth year, this time playing the Spirit of the Ring - leads a kind of homage to the range of pantos Clive and Danny have performed here over the years.

During a song remembering their shows and costars we are treated to such sights as the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk and the crocodile from Peter Pan. These are a reminder, if we needed one, that favourite. This time I particularly loved her bedtime striptease number as well as her array of headwear, from a nesting goose to a cooked one while my young guest's favourite character was her goose companion Priscilla (Oliver Moriarty).