NO festive season is complete without a bit of singing, slapstick comedy and gender-crossing acts, therefore you should look no further than Aladdin at the Grange Theatre for this year’s Christmas fix.

‘Allo ‘Allo’s Arthur Bostrom headlines an all-professional cast as Abanazar, entering to a chorus of boos from the audience, ‘save some booze for Christmas’, is his witty reply.

The infamous Police Officer Crabtree is confronted by a mockery of himself in No Peking’s top copper, PC Pong, cue cries of ‘good moaning’!

The Hartford-based theatre was packed out on opening night, with AB Productions’ panto catching the imagination of Mid-Cheshire’s youngsters by employing the bumbling Mr Bean as the Genie.

Ryan Greaves makes an enthusiastic Aladdin and is well-versed in audience participation, topical Northwich gags and bantering with stage mum, Widow Twanky.

Luckily Widow Twanky’s one-liners are better than her singing and the dame, played by Steve Morewood, certainly brings the venue to life with a series of enthusiastic, laugh-out-loud acts.

Twanky and Aladdin’s 12 Days of Christmas has children in the audience on their feet and the laundrette’s ‘true to life Weaver Square advent calendar’ brings a chuckle from the parents, with its boarded up windows – bad um cha!

The pantomime runs until Tuesday, December 31 with matinee and evening performances throughout the festive period.

Tickets cost £14.95 for adults, £11.00 for children and £12.50 for concessions. Family tickets are available for £47.00.

Contact the Grange Theatre box office at 0844 8700887 or visit thegrangetheatre.com/boxoffice for more information.