TIME is of the essence in Harrogate Theatre’s small but perfectly formed pantomime. Clock faces frame the stage as a giant pendulum clock swings back and forth, ticking and tocking.

The story, of course, hinges on Cinderella’s poor time-keeping. Stay out too late – after midnight – and her dream turns into a shoeless nightmare.

This show is not big and brash like those over-the-top, put-glitter-everywhere commercial pantomimes but every second counts. This is Phil Lowe’s eighth year as director and sixth co-writing with David Bown (the theatre’s CEO) and it shows. They tailor the production for the local audience that expects a traditional panto with a few inventive twists and a lot of fun. That’s precisely what this show delivers.

Tim Stedman – in his 15th Harrogate panto – as Buttons knows how to get a party started by persuading the audience to shout out a cheesy rhyme every time he appears and then bombarding them with every cheese joke and pun known to man throughout the show.

Ugly Sisters Philip Stewart and David Westbrook are horribly horrible in both looks and disposition as they bully poor Cinders (Lucy-Jane Quinlan) and try to steal Prince Charming (Colin Kiyani) for themselves. Maxine Fone’s bespectacled wicked stepmother, the Baroness of Boroughbridge, earns boos while Katy Dean doubles up well as a Welsh Fairy Godmother and a Dandini who fancies her royal boss.

No live Shetland ponies to pull Cinderella’s coach to the ball but an impressive flying winged horse that soars into the skies in a show that hits the heights in all the right places.

Runs until Jan 18. Box Office 01423-502116 and harrogatetheatre.co.uk