The scourge of the politically correct and Arts Council-approved entertainment is back for its 12th year in Brighton.

And after a year when it looked like Brighton’s alternative panto might have to leave its home at Brighton Dome Studio Theatre, producer Brian Ralfe couldn’t be happier.

“They wanted to move us to the summer, but our audience doesn’t want to come out then,” he says midway through a massage following a second day of rehearsals.

“We did a great lot of research – people are ready to come out in February, having got over Christmas. A lot of elderly people come out for the 5pm shows, and it’s often the first time they’ve been out since Christmas.

“My panto also does a great service to the centre of Brighton and New Road residents – it means people are coming out in January and February.”

Indications are the slightly earlier run for this year’s panto haven’t hurt sales so far.

And Ralfe was pleased with the amount of support the adult panto received from fans.

“I had lots of emails and people phoning me up at home,” he says. “The Argus ran a lot of letters of support too.”

Perhaps this battling for survival was the reason behind their choice of a Robin Hood pastiche for this year’s tongue-in-cheek fun – following a kind of outlaw mentality.

“We wanted to change it around a bit,” admits Ralfe, who plays a pink-habited monk in the show.

“Next year we will go back to one of the classics – Cinderella, Aladdin or Mother Goose.

“We’ve got a couple of bows and arrows and swords – just plastic ones, naturally, but don’t tell the health and safety people!”

This year’s cast features long-time stars including Simon Grant as the titular hero, Lee Tracey as Maid Marion, and Scott Virgo as Will Scarlet, with newcomer Phil Harlequeen fresh from playing the Dame at York Grand Opera House’s panto Snow White And The Seven Dwarves this Christmas.

“Phil has been in pantomimes for the past 20 years,” says Ralfe. “He’s so professional and outrageous. He’s moved directly from a family pantomime to the adult panto. He told me he’s seen our pantomime advertised for years and always wanted to do it.”

As well as running meal deal tickets for five nights of the panto, in association with nearby Italian restaurant Pinocchio, Ralfe is also hoping to offer 20 free tickets for the first night to a local old people’s home.

“When you go back to yesteryear, Brighton used to stage three pantomimes – at the Theatre Royal, Dome and Palace Pier,” he says. “The PC brigade and the Green brigade have come down and taken over, but people don’t want all that.”

A breath of fresh air

He describes the adult panto as a breath of fresh air.

“With my pantomime, you can say what you want and get away with murder,” he says. “Everyone is an adult and knows what they are coming to.

“It’s great entertainment – people walk in laughing and they are laughing when they leave.

“Normally after the first 20 minutes first-timers will get the gist of what is going on. I think people like to be shocked and they also like the wow factor.

“It’s not for the faint-hearted – it’s no good coming in moaning or pretending you’re shy!”