DESPITE the bad weather the Lane End Players’ faithful followers crowded into the hall.

The musical director and percussionist opened the show with a rousing overture which set the tone for the evening.

A special mention must go to the rehearsal pianist who works hard but is often forgotten.

The opening scene was lively with a very strong chorus. With the usual corny jokes it romped along at a good pace.

All the principals were well cast and carried out their roles with ease. Well directed by Sophie Marshall with some gorgeous costumers and very clever make-up this was a polished pantomime.

The sets were superb and the special effects of the Idol with its glowing red eyes and the Roc Bird which flew across the audience to great applause were especially good. There was enough audience interaction to keep the youngsters happy and they participated with great delight.

It is always the sign of a good pantomime when the younger members of the audience are kept enthralled throughout.

There were no less than three baddies for the audience to boo which is quite unusual but all played their parts convincingly and the make-up especially on Crunchbones was brilliant.

The dame proved to be quite a musician with his guitar and ukulele playing.

The Old Man of the Sea was convincing and the final song to get everyone ready for the finale was just the right length if a trifle too fast for the audience but perhaps that was the intention. It would be unfair to name individual actors as everyone gave their all to make this a great evening.