Jack and the Beanstalk, Nottingham Theatre Royal

Christmas has well and truly begun! Forget your Slab Square winter wonderlands – and don’t hold out hope for an early Christmas gift from our local football teams.

There was a palpable buzz about the Theatre Royal for Jack and the Beanstalk and every one the cast oozed star quality.

New panto dame Tony Maudsley touched down from Benidorm as Dame Trot – and proved to be a revelation. How he’s managed to avoid the panto season up until now we’ll never know – but he’s going to be at the top of the "wanted" list this time next year, whether he’s busy as Kenneth or not.

He arrived in his TV character’s trademark hot pants and his opening number, a wonderful rendition of Danny la Rue’s signature tune The Girl With a Little Bit Extra, was perfect for panto – raising a laugh for families and giving a little bit extra for the grown-ups (if you know what I mean!) Dame Trot also scored well with some of the best lines, as well as some of the rudest double-entendres.

And then there’s the seasoned pros Paul and Barry, the Chuckle Brothers, playing her sons, and bringing the house down with tried and tested routines that had many of the audience crying with laughter. Picture pensioner Barry in his frilly knickers and nothing else and you’ll start to get the idea…

Their opening got some of the biggest squeals of the night as their naughty presents once more meant different things to different people. Their squabbles, giggles and mastery at working the audience fitted seamlessly with the plot. Perfect family fun.

Meanwhile, it’s always Chico time with Jack (yes, he sang it), and his own striptease at bedtime had a little more wow-factor than it did x-factor!

Daniel Boys was suitably hiss-worthy as Fleshcreep, while Sarah Earnshaw was eminently lovable as the Spirit of the Beans, keeping our story moving forward and helping out the Trots in their quest to rescue diminutive Princess Apricot (Gemma Buckingham) from the giant’s lair.

Ian Gledhill was a ready-made stand-in as King Crumble for the press night, and was a wonderfully gentle and transparent chap as he fell for the colourful Dame’s amorous advances.

We also embarked on an amazing 3D trip inside the Giant’s castle. Just a word of warning though – you might need to let very small children know there are rats, maggots, spiders and more leaping out at you once the 3D specs are on your nose.

This year’s panto is so much more than just the laughs. The musical numbers, led by Allan Rogers and his band, were all top-notch. The comedy was spot-on, even if the audience was sometimes half a beat behind the quickfire repartee of the leads. 

It’s a sparkling antidote to winter and one of the best Christmas shows in years.

A Christmas Chuckle - Royal Concert Hall

An early reminder of what Christmas is all about, though not among the Chuckles' best, I'm afraid.

A jam-packed house was absolutely thrilled to see the boys back in town – and with a brand new show.

But there was precious little of the skits we've come to love over the years.

This time there were more mini 'production numbers' with long legged dancers and singing to herald Christmas.

We marvelled at the magician (did he REALLY cut his assistant's head off?) and enjoyed a seasonal neon puppet show (much better than the usual post-interval offering, by the way).

And yet there was something missing. This show fell somewhere between a full-blown panto and a true Chuckle Brothers stage show, like the recent River Rother exploits.

Barry and Paul were superb, of course, with Paul as Ebeneezer learning from Gerroutofit's Christmases past, present and future that he really must learn to enjoy the festivities. No Slacking made a perfect dame and the supporting cast pulled their weight beautifully – even Stinky Walker, who, we were told at the end had become a father half way through the second half, although it didn't show!

There was lots of audience participation, even some kids asked up on stage, and a clever finale of "If I were not upon this stage" which showed off the team in the very best light.

Good fun nonetheless, and perhaps a curtain-raiser to the Chuckles' anniversary tour planned for next year? Let's hope for their more traditional fare.

Chuckle Trek - The Lost Generation, Royal Concert Hall

WELL-WORN family favourite skits were definitely the high spots in this mixed show from TV's most famous brothers, Paul and Barry Chuckle.

Perhaps it was the unfamiliar surroundings of the Starship Exercise, rather than more comfortable ground on Planet Earth, or perhaps the stop-start nature of the show, due to a couple of magic acts and a neon puppetry session being wedged in for good measure.

The best reaction was always for the Chuckles' tried and tested material – the opening song, promising something "pink and soft" for the audience, or the mums and dads up on stage for a messy rendition of The Three Bears, for instance.

The lads' bunk bed routine, where the top bunk's trapdoor drops Paul onto the bottom while Barry's avoiding an alien intruder, got the biggest contribution from the kids in a packed matinee house.

Every child was screaming "it's behind you!" before the inevitable payoff (where the alien takes one look at Paul and runs away). Simple, self-demeaning and fun. And it brought the house down.

Interventions from No Slacking and Gerroutofit (as Captain James T Burke and Dark Wader) pushed the boundaries a little. Patchy, yes – but I'll be back to see them at Christmas for a one-off panto. It's what they do best.