THE great British pantomime season is with us again and if it really is a great night out that you're after, then Chipping Norton's production of Dick Whittington and his Cat is one for children of all ages (even 30-year-olds).

This year's panto matches up to the very high standards of previous years and is one the cast and crew can be justly proud of. Certainly it pushed the buttons with its young audience, who shrieked, laughed and hissed their way gleefully through the performance. Watch out for the surreal Underwater Ballet scene, which the children near us loved.

Sean Kingsley turns in a wonderful performance as the wicked and rather risqu King Rat, then doubles up as the marvellous Sultan of Morocco and there are great comic turns from Simon McCoy (Idle Jack) and Jim McManus (Sarah the Cook). In fact all the cast play their parts well, ably supported by the young Pippins - Chippy's child actors.

If there is one criticism, it may be that some of the songs fail to spark and engage the audience, but don't worry, you'll have others bobbing merrily through your brain cells for hours afterwards.