IF any company epitomises all that is best about the Borough Theatre it is Abergavenny Pantomime Company.

Entertaining the masses of the town since 1932 it has provided generations of children with their first taste of theatre and inspired many to go on to become actors, singers or just faithful audience members.

It attracts performers and audiences from all over the area and packs the theatre for eight performances every February half term.

It even somehow manages to con a jaded, cynical, panto-hating old newspaper editor to write its script each year for no reward other than a handful of well placed un-scripted insults so it really must have something...

As mentioned by company chairman - and Dame - Ken Jones in is programme notes, this year’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk could have been a difficult one for the company, with stalwart Snowy Clark enjoying a well earned break and his daughter Molly heading off to university, but in true theatre tradition their talented shoes were more than adequately filled by Jaci Brickley Clark who took on the dual musical director and producer role and a skilled cast of performers who carried the evening off, if not without a hitch, at least with humour and good grace.

As always Ken Jones made a loveable Dame and while he’s never more than two foot away from the friendly prompt, he did actually know his lines...they weren’t always the ones I wrote but as he himself says, ‘nobody’s perfect’.

The show also saw Peter Holder back on familiar territory as the plot’s baddie, managing a tongue twisting version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘I’ve Got a Little List’ which in true panto style poked fun at all of Abergavenny’s woes...although I would question why the local newspaper columnist would be in line for boiling in oil!

A lovely comic turn came from Tristan Williams and Jane Gilbert as Arthur Sixpence and Arthur Dozen, while Suzanne Meates and Millie Vaughan were equally well suited as narrator Paige Turner and her talking book with Andrea Marfell turning Scottish as the mysterious old woman.

It was however the trio at the centre of the show which stole it. Ken Jones, as Dame Trott, Joe Pugh as Jack and Emma Davies as Jill excelled and kept the action going with ease to the delight of the packed opening night audience, who cheered even when all went wrong. They might have burst onto stage at completely the wrong moment but did the audience care??Did they heck.

Add a dancing cow, a roller skating cat and a brilliant chorus with terrific music into the mix and the the scene is set for a hugely enjoyable two hours.

Long may Abergavenny Pantomime Company set the bar for family entertainment in our town.