BILLED as Fife’s biggest panto, Dunfermline’s Alhambra theatre have chosen the classic fairytale of Sleeping Beauty for this year’s show, writes Times theatre critic Kerry Black.

Re-uniting many of last year’s cast, the expectations were high. Entering the theatre, the beautiful sparkle curtain and gigantic Christmas tree all added to the excitement as families poured in the doors clutching light up wands galore.

Jo Freer’s Fairy Merriweather acted as narrator, giving us a gallus Glasga rhyming version of a fairy, who told her story aided and abetted by technology including a giant screen! All decent pantos thrive on local jokes and connections and the Alhambra was able to turn to it’s own stable of stars who have graced their stage this year, with references from Madness to The Proclaimers to The Dolls!

With Craig McDougall and Helena Mitchell as the romantic leads, I was surprised to see that Sleeping Beauty had been transported to the roaring twenties, with flappers, the Charleston, some very strange looking formation dancers and an amazing vintage car!

Nikki Auld made her Alhambra debut as the brilliantly venomous Lady Vipera Caribos, the sequin clad baddie, who must have been deemed too scary to be allowed into the lobby at the end to sign programmes and pose for selfies, along with the rest of the cast! While Mark Hayden returned to Dunfermline as Hudson, the time travelling butler.

Best of all, dame extraordinaire Billy Mack and Alan Orr were cast as Mrs Muddles and her chakkit son Sully Wullie Muddles. They had a few real classic comedy routines together, I particularly enjoyed when they mimed along to pop songs to tell a story, although I have to admit I would have liked to see much more of them, especially earlier on in the panto!

While the first half laid the foundation of the story, the second half was far more spectacular, hurtling the cast through time as they tried to save the princess from sleeping for a century, with some fabulous sets, lots of audience interaction, comic numbers and great dancing from the adult ensemble plus plenty cute interaction with the children’s cast.

The Alhambra's Sleeping Beauty is a family friendly, time travelling extravaganza with great comedy and special effects galore!

Sleeping Beauty is Puttin’ On The Ritz at Dunfermline’s Alhambra Theatre until December 29. Call 01383 740384 to book.