THERE were some great performances in this fun, pantomime-style production of this classic fantasy adventure, but one made my little girl gasp with excitement.

Toto the dog stole the show as far as my eight-year-old was concerned.

Other little girls were dressed up head-to-toe as main character Dorothy, and some were so excited they took to dancing in the aisles. There was plenty of audience interaction and at various points there were even pantomime-like moments of “She’s behind you” calls in this straightforward retelling of the classic Judy Garland film.

In recent years, there have been clever takes on the story, including a prequel film and hit West End production Wicked, which explores the relationship of the two sister wicked witches.

However, this boisterous production in front of a packed Wednesday night audience rightly didn’t bother with any twists, but simply got on with the job of telling a childpleasing tale with its positive “believe in yourself” message with a few good sing-and-clapalong songs thrown in.

My star of the show was the Wicked Witch of the West, played by Fiona Egan, who was scary enough to get the kids going, but got some good laughs, too. The young dancers from Karen Heritage’s dance studios, based in Stockton, gave it their all and surely have one or two future stars in their midst.

A good, reasonably-priced, family treat for the half-term holidays.