The fairytale story of Cinderella is every little girl’s favourite fantasy and Theatre Royal Brighton’s Christmas musical ticks all the right boxes without a second-rate soap star in sight.

Don’t mention the P word though – this is no cheesy panto. Eric Potts has penned a hugely entertaining take on a tale which is more than 1,000 years old.

A youthful cast throw themselves into the action with boundless energy but the outstanding voice belongs to Nadine Cox, who uses all her West End experience to captivate as Fairy Godmother.

Composer Chris Hatt saves his best tunes for terrific trio Vanessa Clarke (Stepmother) and daughters Fi-Fi (Tania Newton) and Foo-Foo (Kate Alexander).

The chemistry between them is superb and they revell in Motown-esque numbers Triple The Trouble and Rules Are Made To Be Broken.

Ben Redfern bubbles as a high-energy, chubby Chadwick who the audience take to their hearts as he skips about the stage.

Other strong performances come from Elliot Harper as Prince Charming, and Tim Newman’s Dandini. The pair bicker admirably throughout, although Newman’s “White-dork” accent is tricky to comprehend at times.

The character of Cinderella is played radiantly by local girl Emma Dearden, who belies her 21 years with some magnificent acting and singing. Her rapport with Chadwick and Charming is, well, charming.

Her kiss with the prince had little girls squealing with delight in an audience which struggled to engage early on.

They got into the spirit of things in the second half, though, with plenty of cheers and boos. It might not be a pantomime but there’s nothing like a bit of audience participation.

Aside from one thunderous stage flash, which scared my eight-year-old daughter out of her wits, the show is packed with fun and frolics.

The cast is in danger of being upstaged though by adorable performances from children chosen by Robinson’s Search For A Star campaign, which gave youngsters a chance to audition for this play.

And two Shetland ponies, snow-white in colour, nearly stole the show as they pulled Cinderella’s coach. Despite what is sometimes said about about working with children and animals, it works to great effect here.

A special mention must go to Wendy Harrup and Kate Freshwater for the lavish costumes, which are breathtaking.

Cinders’ wedding dress elicited more squeals and gasps while outfits for a superbly choreographed and performed gypsy festival routine are also outstanding.

With a raft of fine acting and singing, sumptuous costumes and a barrel-full of fairytale magic, there’s no better winter warmer this festive season.

* Until Jan 16, call 0844 8717650.