Deep in darkest Effing Forest lies a traditionally dysfunctional family with the ugliest step sisters ever, an ipad fairy online, patchwork Cinders, camp Prince, beastly Baron and Buttons, sorry, Buttocks.

It is of course Brighton’s other Alternative Pantomime Sinderfella with more drag drollery and overdressed tomfoolery than ever.

Into the panto pot are hilarious references to Torvill and Dean, Strictly, and internet dating.

The best gag has to be the mobility scooter, aka the mice and pumpkin coach and horses, which hiccupped round the stage trailing boa feathers and fluff.

All the cast fire crude, rude jokes a minute with faultless comic timing – the chorus speak by Stephen Richards and Dave Lynn as the horrible sisters is particularly funny. Their Cecil Beaton-inspired costumes are a knock-out.

All the usual ingredients of audience participation, terrible song sheets and stand-up comedy are given new resonance with innuendos which would have made Frankie Howerd blush and props that cannot be described in a family newspaper.

Writer Andrew Stark and musical director Joe Paxton are responsible but cannot be held to account for every nuance added to their original script.

Oh Yes They Can.

Four stars