The curtain finally went up on the latest pantomime at Milton Keynes Theatre as Peter Pan took to the stage at the beginning of December. The production is a class act. I hadn’t been to a pantomime for a good few years and wasn’t exactly sure what to expect as a 33 year old – would I cheer at the goodies and boo at the baddies, would I join in with the songs, would the humour hit the mark? The answer was a resounding yes to them all.

I must confess, I was a huge Happy Days fan, so just the thought of being in the same room as The Fonz did make me go a bit weak at the knees. Henry Winkler, now an amazing 63 years old, plays both Mr Darling and the evil (boooo, hissss – see I’m still doing it) Captain Hook! And boy, does he play them. As panto stars go, he really hams it up in his amazing Hook costumes, playing up to the audience and getting the maximum amount of input from all the girls and boys who are only too happy to oblige.

Louise Lytton, star of Eastenders, The Bill and Strictly Come Dancing, plays Peter Pan and does a good job. She dances very well, as she should after 14 weeks of practice with Vincent, and flies gracefully for a large part of the two and half hour show, which is no mean feat.

But the star of the show is undoubtedly Andy Ford as the hapless pirate, Smee. I hadn’t got a clue who he was before the show, but his performance will stick in the mind for a good few years to come. He is perfect for panto, he has some of the best comical body movements and facial expressions I have ever seen on stage, makes the kids laugh but also adds a little touch of humour for the adults to keep them in the loop but most of all – the boy can dance! I won’t spoil it for you but you’ll never listen to Love Machine by Girls Aloud again without thinking of him!

To sum up the evening is easy; I had a ball, I laughed, a lot, I booed and I hissed in all the right places, I even found myself shouting out “He’s behind you!” a few times even before the children did. If you want a great show for the whole family, where you can forget all about the credit crunch and the winter blues then get yourself along to the Milton Keynes Theatre before 18 January and immerse yourself in the wonderfully funny world of Peter Pan.

To book call 0870 060 6652 or visit www.theambassadors.com