This year's Opera House panto is Snow White, complete with lively dwarfs Bossy, Fussy, Moaner, Forgetful, Smelly, Dozy and Brainy.

I saw it early in the run, when non-stick moustaches and missed sound cues caused as much laughter as Muddles's bad knock-knock jokes, but all the elements of good panto were firmly in place.

There were lots of topical references; Botox, global warming, High School Musical and Simon Cowell all got a name-check in the first few minutes. But tradition rules in Buxton. Martin Robinson's dancers were as well-drilled as ever. Snow White (Christina Baily, ex-Hollyoaks) was as pretty as a Disney movie. Christopher Wright filled Dame Doris's red striped stockings admirably, Liam Evans-Ford was a highly fanciable Prince and Balamory's Rodd Christensen was an engaging Muddles — even when his moustache fell off during his deliberately bad Freddie Mercury impression.

For me the highlights were Keddy Sutton as revolting but relentlessly cheerful Snivella, and Lynne Pearson as Queen Belladonna, as evil as her former Coronation Street character.

It runs till New Year's Day.

LYNNE PATRICK