Cinderella,

The Albert Halls,

Until December 31

by Craig Archer

THE Albert Halls festive pantomime has kicked off in style – oh yes it has!

This year's production is the classic tale of Cinderella and it turned out to be a real Christmas cracker.

The show was fun from start to finish and included lots of modern songs and chart hits so everyone could have a good old fashioned sing-along.

The Albert Halls was packed to the rafters with mums, dads and children all having a great time and starting their Christmas celebrations early.

The panto features the story of a beautiful young girl, played by Charlotte Dacia, who battles past her wicked stepmother and stepsisters to win the heart of the Prince Charming, X Factor's David Heath.

But to do so, she needs the help of the Fairy Godmother played by Katy Ashworth from CBeebies.

The stepsisters, the bosom buddies (BGT) were the brilliant ugly sisters John Cooper and Rachel White. Dressed in outrageous costumes they had the crowd laughing each time they appeared on the stage.

The pantomime is the first to be staged at the Albert Halls since it reopened following a multi-million pound transformation.

The key to the success of the show was audience participation. Everyone was encouraged to sing, dance and shout out from start to finish. There was the good old-fashioned 'He's Behind You' gag and the 'well! We’ll have to sing it again then won’t we'.

The set design was very good and featured scenes from a forest, a town and a ballroom.

The standard of singing was also excellent – David Heath excelled as did the ugly sisters and Katy Ashworth. Katy's version of Aretha Franklin's Respect was sung superbly and went down a treat with the audience.

The show's dancers were also very talented and kept the audience entertained throughout. And I couldn't write this review without mentioning the cast's costumes – all bright and beautifully made.

My wife and two children thoroughly enjoyed the show and left with big smiles on their faces. It was funny and entertaining. I would certainly go again.