Joyce McMillan - The Scotsman **** (Four stars)

LITTLE by little, and step by step, the Brunton Theatre at Christmas is becoming one of those precious places where every detail of the Scottish panto tradition is cherished, preserved, and reborn each year, in form fit to delight 21st-century audiences.

It's not that the Brunton panto has lavish resources at its disposal - writer/director Liam Rudden can usually count on a chorus of extras from the youth theatre company, a one-piece band on keyboard, and a few shoestring sets and backdrops lovingly painted up by designer Robin Mitchell and his team.

What the Brunton panto has, though, is a near-perfect awareness of all the best aspects of panto, and of its special fairytale rhythm. This year, the story is a racy new version of Sleeping Beauty, in which our lovely heroine Sally lives at the Musselburgh Arms Hotel with her old Nanny, Nurse Nellie, and Nellie's daft son Jamie. There's a wicked witch, though, who knows who Sally's parents were, and wants her out of the way.

So from a vacant shopfront on Musselburgh High Street, tastefully window-dressed with an old spinning-wheel, she plots destruction; and, in a trice, we have a panto bursting with the kind of local energy, jokes, pride and humour that every pantomime should have, but relatively few now attempt.

Graham Crammond is an increasingly impressive and lovable Dame, cherishing ancient routines like the schoolroom scene in which all the sums add up wrong; Arron Usher is a perfect silly ass as Jamie. And Julie Heatherill is a truly lovely Sally; sparkling with that sense of youth, joy and hope that often shines most brightly where budgets are not too big, and where the spirit of panto comes first.

Jonathan Melville - www.itsonitsgone.wordpress.com

Musselburgh’s Brunton Theatre opens another Christmas cracker this year with its own spin on Sleeping Beauty, a fast-paced romp which updates the classic tale to modern day Musselburgh.

The tale revolves around young Sally (Julie Heatherill) who is the target of Grizzlebone the Witch (Lori McLean) and Wart (Stuart Ryan). As Grizzlebone tries to capture Sally on her 18th birthday, an intrepid band of friends get together to save her from certain death while Prince Duncan (Gary Lamont) dreams of one day marrying her.

Based on a story first published in 1697, this version peppers its script with cheeky modern references to Doctor Who (dropped off in the TARDIS, audience favourite Jamie McCrimmon (Arron Usher in a performance which never drops below 100mph) is named after a Doctor Who companion from the 60s), the Credit Crunch and Britain’s Got Talent. Alongside frequent asides to the audience, this is an unashamedly self-aware tale which both kids and their parents will find something to latch onto.

Of the cast, Julie Heatherill shines as the perky Sally, looking like she’d fit well into the cast of High School Musical 4. While her role may be rather thankless - always being whiter-than-white is never the most exciting character trait - her voice soars in the numerous musical numbers.

Worth special mention here is Graham Crammond as Nanny Nellie. Clearly relishing every moment of stage time, Crammond’s interaction with Usher is priceless, constant one-liners and ad-libs meaning that his performance is always going to be the most flamboyant.

With appearances from Nessie and a group of vampires, this is a show with something for everyone. Wide smiles, cheery songs and constant groan-inducing jokes combine to offer a fine start to the festive season…just watch out for that giant spider behind you…