A breath-taking underwater stunt, an army of cheeky rats and a fabulous flying fairy - it could only have been the opening night of the Alhambra pantomime.

Dick Whittington may not be as glitzy as last year's production of Cinderella but this was a charming, hugely entertaining show.

With stunning costumes, particularly in the Land of Dreams at the end of Act One, and spectacular special effects - including a lift whisking Dick Whittington up to the roof and a stunning underwater sequence which saw Dick and the Dame swimming from a sinking ship - this was a lovely show.

The dance routines were slick, thanks to a polished troupe of dancers and the delightful Sunbeams, from Shipley dance schools DM Academy and the Wilson Centre, and the slapstick came thick and fast (be warned - anyone sitting near the front will have to dodge flying eggs and water).

My nephew Alex, eight, and I agreed the highlights were a scene where the action was wound backwards and the Dame and Dick paid their own hilarious homage to Titanic.

Well done to a terrific cast, led by Alhambra stalwart Billy Pearce in the title role. From the moment he came crashing on to the stage through a brick wall, he had the audience in his grip.

The man is a walking bundle of energy. He also managed to bring pathos to the role - when Dick was mistaken for a thief I actually found myself caring that he was upset - and he had more opportunity to showcase his impressive singing voice than in previous shows.

Calendar newsgirl Faye Barker was a joy as the Fairy, throwing herself into the role and coping brilliantly with bursting into song while flying across stage. My six-year-old niece Eleanor thought she was wonderful.

Paul Usher was a great King Rat, blending menace with humour and some sexy Scouse charm.

Former Bradford Bulls cheerleader Carolynne Good showed off her cracking singing voice as Alice, and Bobby Bennett was a delightfully old-fashioned Dame.

Special mention too to Rob Urquhart, who landed the role of the Sultan in the recent Panto Idol contest. He gave a charismatic performance, showing great comic talent.

It wouldn't be an opening night without any technical hitches and there were hitches a-plenty last night.

But it was to the credit of the cast, particularly Billy, that the mis-timings, dodgy microphones and fluffed lines were turned into some of the night's biggest laughs.

"Without you this would have been a rehearsal - and we haven't had enough of those," Billy told the audience at the end of the show.

The fact that anything can go wrong is what gives panto its edge and the first night mishaps added to the show's charm and spontaneity, and showed how well this cast can think on its feet.

A thoroughly entertaining opening night.

l Dick Whittington runs at the Alhambra until February 6. Tickets are available on (01274) 432000.