THE perfect antidote to the January blues awaits audiences in the form of a feel-good family pantomime at Bournemouth’s De La Salle Theatre.

All Saints Dramatic Society has pulled out all the stops to bring the festive season to a fitting finale with a spectacular production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

This show is what pantomime is all about.

It’s full of “oh no you didn’t” and oh yes you did” moments, yells of “behind you”, audience participation, a top-class pantomime dame and a community spirit I haven’t seen at any other festive production in the area.

Colourful and dazzling costumes give the production a professional feel and the enormous ogre brought the house down when he blundered on to the stage.

Anyone with small children will know how exciting it was that he was snotty as well as scary.

And the impressive beanstalk was actually chopped down by Jack, leaving the audience wondering how it would be put back together in time for the next show.

This pantomime was written by Douglas Eyre who famously saved the ‘worst’ lines for his wife, Nina, who gave an enchanting performance as the fairy a staggering 58 years after she first played the role in one of the society’s productions.

Their daughters performed as Jack and Gilly Crumpet, making the show a real family affair.

But they were not the only family groups involved.

All Saints Dramatic Society has involved several generations of numerous families over the years and the close bond between all the cast members shines through.

A live band enhances the show and a huge backstage team make sure everything runs smoothly.

The annual pantomime is a highlight of the year and there’s still time to grab some tickets.

It will be performed again on Friday, January 11 at 7.30pm and on Saturday, January 12 at 2pm and 7pm.