VAL PENNETT reviews Otley Little Theatre's pantomime "Santa In Space" by Paul Reakes at Otley Civic Centre until Saturday

DESCRIBED as 'pantomime with a modern twist' Santa in Space is certainly a clever, quirky and unusual panto.

All the things that children of today enjoy were here.

Planets, spaceships, daleks, invaders of earth and yet the show never quite leaves tradition behind as we can still enjoy seeing the usual principal boy and girl, the panto dame, sunbeams and dancers and of course Santa.

The plot revolves around Vileun the Vile. who kidnaps Santa as part of his plot to conquer the universe.

He takes Santa to his planet Varbos.

Of course most of the village of Merrydale, where Santa hides throughout the year as Atnas, has to rescue him to get him back to earth in time for Christmas.

Actually a most enjoyable and inventive tale.

The show suffered on the first night from a slowness and hesitancy with some of the dialogue.

In fact I felt that there could have been more song and dance and less dialogue.

The music was good. Here again a blend of old with the new, keyboard and orchestra playing modern and not so modern music.

Sounds and choice of music fitting in well with this different panto.

There was a problem with the first couple of numbers - the company not able to pick up on the singing but there was improvement although introductions to some of the numbers were too long and left the cast waiting to sing.

The orchestra played well for our enjoyment during the interval.

Costumes, sets, make up, lighting all worked well and in particular the effects for the spaceship arrival.

Choreography generally could have been brighter and more disciplined but there was a beautiful little number 'Living Doll' danced by Carmen Poveda Sharman, and the Sunbeams looked lovely.

Little Theatre members made up the main cast.

Phil Marston and Joan Baker were the Villains; Steve Millward and Ruth Birkett, the two stooges; and Krystyne Pitts in the exhausting role of Dame Dangle.

The excellent Roseann Higgins was Roberta the Robot.

I enjoyed Kevin Collier's Santa. It was not easy coping with the hair and beard all evening!

Mary Baldwin was the principal boy and Julie Sedgley a sweet principal girl.

Luke Rothery played an admirable Tommy Tucker. There was a rousing finale, everyone joining in with "Rock'n'Roll Christmas".

Production was by Meg Morton, Musical Director was Colin Briggs with additional music by Jim Ranyard and Mike Woods.

Choreographers were Ruth Birkett and Jackie Gowing.

This show should now pull together. It is a jolly good idea for a panto story and most original.

Tickets are priced at £6 adults, £5 OAPs and £4 for children 16 and under.

These are on sale at Waye and Son, Travel Agents, Kirkgate, Otley.

There is a discount of 50p per ticket for block bookings of 15 or more to Friday.