WRITTEN and directed by Helen Barrington, the Christmas Spectacular delivered all the seasonal bonhomie you would expect from a festive show.

The story sees a tyrant timekeeper, Gregory Thriftpenny (Andrew Rawstron), brought in to rationalise the warm-hearted Santa’s (Bryan Newman) magical toy workshop.

The pre-requisite comedy duo also feature with slapstick and corny comedy galore.

Elves Spud (David Harris) and Sprout (Charles Barrington) mastered the art of delivering the jokes you might find in a Christmas cracker.

In case you were thinking there was something missing, there is also the love story and the happy ending. A bulging sack, as Santa might say!

The costumes were a gorgeous, sparkling indulgence with the children glittering like Christmas baubles and the adults seeming to have borrowed a series worth of Strictly frocks, tailored perfectly to the musical numbers.

Costume designer Sue Simmerling, deserves a standing ovation; her designs were inventive and simply fab-u-lous!

Then the choreography – the cast exuded confidence as they executed complicated dance routines, which added the necessary va va voom to lift the music from ordinary to extraordinary.

The vocals were melodious and there was a genre of music to suit most palettes, but numbers such as Top Hat and Winter Wonderland along with the glitz and glamour, gave the production a vintage feel.

The stage action was first-rate but none of it would have been possible without the unsung heroes, lighting (Paul Wyse) and sound (Pete Monteith) who added theatricality in abundance.

Not panto, nor cabaret – this show offers a modern version of something from a past era. It’s a crowd pleaser and a treat for all the family; perhaps a present from Santa?