IPSWICH: If you like your pantos slick, professional, star-studded and very traditional, you're in for a real treat at the Regent.

Paul Geater

Jack and the Beanstalk at the Ipswich Regent until January 10.

IPSWICH: If you like your pantos slick, professional, star-studded and very traditional, you're in for a real treat at the Regent.

This is the fifth professional pantomime at East Anglia's largest theatre, and it is by far the best - with delights for all the family.

Blue singer Anthony Costa makes a fine Jack, proving that he can do comedy as well as singing for his supper.

Ex-Corrie star Ken Morley makes a wonderful Dame Trott being adorned in a succession of ever more extravagant dresses.

And CBBC star James Mackenzie is just menacing enough as the villainous Fleshcreep to make it clear that he's a nasty piece of work without scaring the youngest members of the audience witless.

He has the most evil cackle I've heard in a panto for a long time.

Carl Johns might not be a household name, but he is a great Simple Simon and Carina Gillespie is a delightful princess.

But the real scene-stealer is the giant Blunderbore. He might only be on stage for a few minutes, but the giant creation remains the abiding memory of the show.

The jokes are corny and there are one or two that might be considered risqu� if you didn't accept that most of these will go right over the heads of the youngest members of the audience.

Ipswich is extremely fortunate to have two such wonderful - and different - pantos.

Aladdin at the New Wolsey is superb entertainment but is a very different creature to this more traditional show.

My advice would be to see them both - and compare them for yourselves!

Paul Geater.

HERE'S some stop-press news! Ipswich mayor David Goldsmith is “very old.” And that revelation is from someone who knows him well . . . his six-year-old granddaughter Eva!

She and her cousin Stanley went on to the stage for a few minutes with Simple Simon and she told the full-house at the Regent about her grandfather's age.

Their short time in the spotlight was a real highlight for the audience - especially those of us who know the very hard-working, but very old mayor!