BEFORE I start this review could I just take a second to disembarrass myself of the suggestion that I have ever been a Playboy Bunny!

I realise it may be difficult to shake the image presented by Abergavenny Pantomime Company but I can assure you that I have never publically displayed my fluffy tail and wiggly ears...although I have to admit it's a better image than the horns and tail that I'm normally given!

So, with that vision firmly fixed in your minds, onto the show and what a show it was, packed to the gills with flash, bangs, wallops and all the stuff for which traditional family pantos are loved.

As ever, let's get the bad stuff out of the way early - for me at three hours long this was straying out of the panto comfort zone and in all honesty a little nip and tuck in the first half, to get rid of some of the padding could have made this a much slicker, faster show, but that said, the cast of principals and chorus worked hard to keep the action flowing and by and large they did.

In the central roles flu-stricken Ken Jones - panto's very own Widow Twankey with a hanky - and Stephen Clark as Wishy Washy threw themselves - often literally - into the action, backed up with excellent performances from Molly Brickley-Clark making her principal boy debut in the title role, Chelsea Viveash as her opposite number Princess Jasmine and Alex Williams as the evil Abanazar.

All three were given free rein to show their musical talents with some top quality vocal performances.

Excellent comic support was given by the teaming of Megan Trinder and Louise Morgan as the wicked Chop Suey and Chow Mein, Zach Clee and Emma Davies as the Genie of the Lamp and the Slave of the Ring and Nia Gandhi and Eleanor Newsam as Do-Pe and Wee-Wee.

All three partnerships played for maximum laughs much to the delight of the capacity audience at the Borough Theatre who cheered, booed and hissed their way through the evening.

Nice cameo performances also came from Joe Pugh as the versatile narrator, who sang, danced and joked with ease, Geraint Webb as the camp bodyguard Hard Lee, Peter Holder and Andrea Marfell as the Emperor and Empress Ah Chu and Ah Chu Tu and some of the society's youngest members Anni?Rees as the Executioner and Zac Williams as Little Abanazar not forgetting Jon Newsam and Huw Marfell as the two halves of Dunn Poo the incontinent cow.

It's expected now that some of the highlights of the annual panto are provided by the chorus and this year was no exception with some lively singing and dancing adding to the colourful spectacle of the night thanks to the hard work of the performers themselves and of course the talented production team behind the scenes.

So, in short, this is a show which could do with a little tightening but on the whole lives up to its promise of good, clean ( well almost), fun for the whole family.

If you like panto, you'll love Aladdin...just don't believe what they say about me....honestly to suggest that the Chronicle is full of adverts...what utter nonsense!!