NO egg joke is left uncracked in writer Nicolas Pegg's egg-cellent (sorry, it's catching) pantomime. In fact, there's rather too much of a good thing.

The production could - indeed, should - lose 20 minutes or so to take it closer to two rather than three hours. A little trimming here and there would make it easier on the bum and less taxing for actors doing it twice daily.

Already, director Lennox Greaves' production, boasting glittering designs and inventive choreography, has much to commend it. Once musical director Nick Lacey gets the sound balance right so that the actors aren't overwhelmed by the band, the musical content will be just right too.

Not that I'm complaining too loudly. This Mother of all pantos will appeal to all lovers of traditional shows. Mother Goose lacks a strong narrative but Pegg uses the story of the goose that lays golden eggs as the springboard for a series of the set pieces that audiences have come to know and love, whether it's slapstick or singalong.

Tim Stedman, in his fifth Harrogate panto, has perfected the art of being silly. "What I lack in intelligence, I more than make up for in sheer stupidity," says his Muddles. Adam Stafford, making his Harrogate debut as the Dame, soon gains the audience's attention and affection as schoolteacher Mother Goose. The villainous Demon Nightshade is a lot of fun too. As usual, the climactic chase is a marathon session of running and jumping around the entire auditorium.

* Until January 8. Tickets (01423) 502116.

Published: 02/12/2004