LARGER than life, colourful, and full of good old-fashioned humour — that’s the best way to describe this year’s pantomime at the Key Theatre, Peterborough.

The magical tale of Aladdin bursts on to the stage from the first act and keeps children and adults entertained until the finale.

We all know how the story goes — a poor boy gets three wishes when he rubs a magical lamp with a genie inside. He finds fortune and eventually wins the hand of the beautiful princess after defeating the evil sorcerer.

In the Key Theatre’s version the action takes place in the Oriental East, rather than the traditional Arabian setting. And instead of a pet monkey like in the Disney film this show has a giant costumed panda.

In true pantomime fashion some characters are played by the opposite sex including Aladdin and his mother, the hilarious Widow Twankey.

Lots of slapstick humour, combined with modern jokes and local references, generate many laughs from the audience.

As with any pantomime there’s much audience participation — a favourite element among younger theatre-goers.

The vibrant and colourful sets ensure that your eyes are permanently glued to the stage; one of the most spectacular scenes has to be Aladdin and Jasmine’s magic carpet ride which lit up the whole auditorium with twinkling, moving lights acting as stars in the sky.

If you want to be taken for a magical ride, filled with laughs and comedy along the way, then book your place on the Aladdin journey.