This is what the people want: Julian Clary ascending above the audience of the London Palladium. Need I say more…

The Palladium Panto has become somewhat of a tradition in my family every Christmas. It’s the type of panto aimed more at our demographic (counting myself as somewhat of an old soul) than the younger generation. The announcer before the show starts puts it perfectly, regretfully informing the audience that Nigel Havers unfortunately will be appearing in this performance and has not been replaced. Cue a string of Private Lives jokes and Clary’s lament of Havers touring the ‘provincial theatres’ with Patricia Hodge, and you realise from the knowing laughs that the people who have travelled here, are the very same who book a play just because Nigel Havers is in it…

You will be hard-pressed to find many children in the auditorium of this show. So you do not need to worry about any enthusiastic toddlers waving a psychedelic raving star wand in your £200-a-ticket periphery. Of course, it is pricey for a pantomime, but it is more helpful to explain it as a star-studded variety performance. This is how we justify it, returning to our ‘threadbare homes’ as Clary imagines afterwards…

The real question when it comes to the rating is: was it as good as last year’s ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’? And to that I have to say: no. It would have been impossible to beat –a towering inflatable beanstalk rising to the rafters, Alexandra Burke’s Bad Boys number without the issue of royalties, Paul Zerdin chucking a child off the stage in feigned exasperation…to name but a few moments that lacked in equivalency this year. Last year we also had Dawn French (for the Dibley fans) whereas Jennifer Saunders was chosen this year, taking the final bow as ‘the star’ after Julian. I could have understood it if they had given her a number of her own… Hook bursting into the Shrek 2 arrangement of I Need a Hero before being fed to the crocodile …but alas…

Entertainment ★★★★☆

Still probably one of the best pantomimes around; it has all the pizzazz of a great Christmas show without the annoying pantomime elements of excessive audience participation and plot !

Star Power ★★★★☆

5 stars for the regulars: Clary, Havers & Wilmot. However, the other stars just did not have the same cohesive pulling power that they did last year. There was a touching moment of tribute from Clary to Paul O’Grady that felt very special and paid homage to palladium pantomimes past. Hopefully a little more of that past ‘wow-factor’ can be channelled next year.

Value ★★★★☆

Last year, I claimed hands-down that it was worth every penny and more as they simply could not have crammed in another second of star-studded entertainment. The aforementioned principal 3 just about justify the price this year, but unless you’re a staunch Ab Fab fan, you won’t want to invest in seeing it twice.

Overall, a guaranteed quality show and I will be booking again for next year.