And a fine time was had by all

STEPPING OUT: Billy Suet (Richard J Fletcher), Sarah the Cook (Fine Time Fontayne) and Alderman Fitzwarren (Simeon Truby)

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DICK WHITTINGTON, Oldham Coliseum (to January 14)
DICK comes from Oldham, his vessel is the good ship Metrolink, (which sinks, not necessarily ominously, like a stone), and Silly Billy rises through the navy ranks faster than a member of the Royal family in Fine Time Fontayne’s first panto for the Coliseum.

Fontayne is back as dame for the third year too, and his slightly laid-back performances of the last couple of years have been markedly transformed this time into a funnier, more prominent force – and I’m not just talking about his falsies in the final act.

Quite pleased, I’m sure, at the news that next year’s panto has already sold a record £20,000 worth of tickets since Saturday morning, director Kevin Shaw heads for London with a funny top team – Fontayne as Dame, crowd-pleasing local actor Richard Fletcher as the knockabout Billy and Andonis Anthony his usual, and brilliant, Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow-like King Rat.

These three get very strong support from Justine Bailey as Dick, Simeon Truby as Fitzwarren and Lisa Halliman as Alice – Justine and Lisa both also sporting terrific singing voices for the unobtrusive stock of up-to-the-minute pop songs scattered through the evening.

As usual the sets are cheerfully bright and the costumes turned up to 11, both courtesy of Celia “no colour too strong” Perkins. Among Fontayne’s frocks are a glittery Justin Bieber tribute, a cupcake, a cup of hot chocolate and – well, this is Oldham – a bag of chips.

What is a little different this year is that the show isn’t quite as overtly silly as before. The Coliseum panto is always a family experience and newcomers to it will love the slop scene, the trick bed scene, the music and the humour (as will old hands), but perhaps the cast rushes a little too quickly past the interaction with kids in the audience.

This could have been Fontayne’s funny script and a natural change of emphasis, or it could have been the show in need of some trimming to allow time to breathe and for silliness.

Either way, it remains, and rightly, the best traditional panto you are likely to see in the region this year – and next too, by all accounts.