Say what you see: snow, a flying horse and a Catchphrase host with more jokes than a Jimmy Carr boxset.

That’s right, it’s Croydon’s pantomime – Cinderella at Fairfield Halls, starring Stephen Mulhern – and it will bring a smile to the face of anyone who sees it this Christmas.

The story of a poor country girl who, with a little help from her Fairy Godmother, wins the heart of a prince is surely already familiar.

Here it is performed with gusto and oodles of likability, so much so you don't feel an ounce of trepidation during the audience participation.

The looser first half gives us characters to fall in love with. The cast are uniformly excellent, though it is the comic relief that is most compelling.

Director Matt Daines teams up and dresses up with Stewart Wright to form a devastatingly effective double act as Cinders’ ugly sisters, Beatrice and Tyson Fury look-a-like Eugenie.

Read more:

The pair have some wicked chemistry, brilliant baddie lines and a dozen knockout costumes.

Steve Wickenden’s Dandini is easy to get behind for the audience but their real chum is Buttons, as played by Britain’s Got More Talent host Mulhern.

He’s the star name and he has the best lines but he doesn’t squander them. In fact, he smashes them – and then throws in lashes of effortlessly great improve too when chatting to the audience.

Mulhern makes the show fizz. He is totally lovable and demonstrates why his name is written big on the poster. He puts everything into it and clearly enjoys performing to an audience.

It’s not just his relentless jokes, either. His unrequited love for Cinderella is the stand-out dramatic strand and, charming though the prince is, you really wish our heroine would love the funnier, more charismatic Buttons.

Your Local Guardian:

Richard Walsh as Baron Hardup, Stewart Wright and Matt Daines as the Ugly Sisters. Picture by Frazer Ashford

Both Mulhern and writer/producer Paul Hendy have a background in primetime TV gameshows and, like a lot of pantos, Cinderella follows that professional mass appeal, cross generational template.

Hendy’s script is stuffed to the brim with gags; many laugh out loud funny, many corny, many both.

Quite a few had fun local nods - there's even a cheeky-yet-innocent dig at the neighbouring Bromley panto, at which you can apparently expect no jokes about 19th century painters.

The performance builds nicely towards the interval with a rousing song, a flying horse and – the real ‘wow’ moment – snow falling over the audience.

Then in the second half, things are ratcheted up a notch again with a glittering ballroom set (hats off to Helga Wood, who also designed the fabulous costumes) and a hard-to-sing Sam Smith ballad, wonderfully delivered.

As the stage welcomes ghosts, magic and small children all of the panto boxes are enthusiastically ticked without it ever feeling like schtick.

Your Local Guardian:

Benjamin Brook as Prince Charming and Joanna Sawyer as Cinderella at Fairfield Halls. Picture by Frazer Ashford

It’s in the final chapter that our attention turns away from the comedy to focus on the love story.

Benjamin Brook hits the right notes as Prince Charming while our Cinderella, Joanna Sawyer, is mesmerising - convincingly beautiful and wholesome, just what Cinderella should be and what the kids root for.

By the time you get to the final crowd-on-your-feet song, you’ll be wishing for more and looking forward to next year’s show already. Oh yes, you will.

Cinderella is at Fairfield Halls, Croydon, until January 3. Tickets cost from £18. Go to www.fairfield.co.uk or call 020 8688 9291.

Your Local Guardian: