IT WAS a full house at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre, Havant for this new pantomime version of the medieval folktale, first made popular by the German folklorists, the Brothers Grimm.

The new production was written by Bench Theatre stalwart Mark Wakeman who also played a superbly hammy double act with Dan Finch, as Billio and Blunt the co-narrators.

The panto had all the conventions one would expect; thigh-slapping principal boy (played of course by a girl), pantomime horses, a wicked villain, a beautiful princess, magic and lots of audience participation.

Professional pantomime performances tend rely on soap opera starlets or last year’s boy band rejects to bring in the crowds.

It is to the credit of the Bench Theatre that they were able to put on such a professional performance with an amateur cast.

Bench have been performing in Havant since 1969 and have won a number of awards, including one for Aladdin in 2012.

The action was fast-paced with 12 different scenes spread over two parts.

There was some magnificent scenery in the form of trees carried by members of the cast, although I think the cardboard cut-out of George Bush (it’s a bush/George Bush) might have gone over the heads of the young audience.

Sarah Parnell was a magnificent Magnifica, the evil fairy and the villain of the piece.

Her costumes were superb, particularly the green dragon ensemble she wore in the final scene.

The plot is almost incidental to the performance but did involve the curse of Queen Dewdrop, a sleeping princess, a Fairy King, some very bad garden gnomes and lots of good fairies.

Needless to say all works out well in the end with the final denouement achieved via a Strictly Come Dancing-style contest with guest appearances from Mary Berry and Simon Cowell look-a-likes.

I won’t spoil the plot completely but the loose ends are tied up through the use of the Proclaimers 1988 hit, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) All in all a very entertaining and amusing evening for all ages. Oh yes it was!

DAVID HARRIS