★★★☆☆ Hanging off this Dahl-like story is a sentimental sub-plot about the loveless life of inventor and widower, Caractacus Potts (Jason Manford), whose children are keen to get him set up with a surrogate mum in the shape of Truly Scrumptious (another Fleming named female along lines of Pussy Galore and Kissy Suzuki).

There’s a bit of a fad amongst chefs for ‘deconstructing’ old favourite recipes. Thus you might find yourself eating a bit of crumbly something or other with something lemony and another item of creamy stuff all going under the name of ‘cheesecake’. Eric Potts, in writing a version of Cinderella that can accommodate the extraordinary and much loved talents of Torvill and Dean has done something similar for pantomime. This panto gently nudges the boundaries of the tradition and in doing so fills the theatre with all round family entertainment.