IT’S... erm... Christmas!

Vintage pro (he’s a sprightly 74) Tommy Steele is back again as everyone’s favourite festive skinflint and even Ebenezer would have to admit, it’s worth every farthing.

With Bill Kenwright producer, this show couldn’t be anything but a winner, in spite of the musical’s lack of hits.

Steele is simply magnificent, in a slightly pantomime way, with the stamina of two men half his age.

Also batting for the Super Seniors is Barry Howard, aka Barry from Hi-de-Hi, as an occasionally creepy, but mainly camply spooky Marley.

It would, naturally, be sacrilege to muck around with Dickens’ setting, so this is trad-deluxe, with masses of high-tech theatre magic and skilful, but not too-polishedseeming choreography and – hurrah! – real, live musicians.

Scrooge’s parsimonious ways do seem rather “this season”, what with nationalextreme- belt-tightening and all.

Gentle satire aside, this feelgood production is in no real danger of realism: the urchins appear to be in Laura Ashley circa 1843 (when A Christmas Carol was published) and Scrooge’s luxuriant locks look suspiciously well-conditioned for a miser.

The kids are lovely– just the right balance of adorable precociousness and a lot is expected of them, especially of little superstar Freddie Dawson as Tiny Tim.

But the real limelight belongs to the superb special effects and to Steele himself. An elderly lady near me shuffled unsteadily to her feet to give him a standing ovation, despite her obviously dodgy legs.

So who cares if there’s more hamming it up than in a pig smokery, or that it’s two months till Christmas? Thank you very much!

■ Until Saturday. Tickets 0844-847-2499 and online SunderlandEmpire.org.uk

Sarah Scott