Aladdin - Ferneham Hall, Fareham, until January 5.

PANTO is not dead. Some pantos may have an A-list cast, spend thousands on special effects and are performed in grand settings but this is good old-fashioned panto at its best. Alvin Stardust as Abanazar and Airport's Jeremy Spake, who plays Wishee Washee, head up a lively production of the fairy tale, which also features south-coast celeb Spencer Kelly as The Emperor. Spencer and Jeremy stumbled over their lines occasionally, but the two covered up with some great ad-libbing and improvisation.

Jeremy is charming and worked the audience a treat. Aladdin (Julie Paton) has a fine voice and put in a strong performance. Panto has a simple formula and Aladdin has the right recipe for success. The children were beside themselves with laughter, which is the proof.