The sight of a fairy in a glittering satin frock being blown up certainly wasn't in the script.

But actress Karen Clegg, alias Fairy Bowbells, was spellbound to say the least when the last dress rehearsal of a Christmas panto went off with a bang.

She was supposed to appear from the wings in a puff of smoke, but the dry ice pyrotechnic went off on the wrong side of the stage.

It was a minor technical hitch, and Karen carried on as normal, delivering her lines perfectly.

But as she exited left, the pyrotechnic which should have gone off earlier erupted at her feet.

The noise in a near-empty auditorium was deafening, and Karen cried out in surprise.

But in true panto spirit she was soon joking about the mishap and after a hug from director Christopher Lillicrap she was back in action. The show, as they say, must go on.

We witnessed Karen's hair-raising start during a fascinating back-stage look at the Worthing pantomine Dick Whittington, starring former EastEnder Peter Dean, who played Pete Beale, and Tom Cotcher of The Bill.

We were invited to the final dress rehearsal at the Connaught Theatre before yesterday's live debut.

The cast had spent the last ten days learning lines and perfecting complicated song-and-dance routines. This was the last chance to iron out any last-minute hiccups.

It was a hectic afternoon for the 27-strong cast, backed by three musicians and 15 support staff.

Set painters were putting the finishing touches to the backdrop as lighting and sound technicians ran 11th-hour checks.

Backstage there was organised chaos as members of the cast applied layers of greasepaint to their faces and struggled with weighty costumes in a confined space.

Pete Dean swapped his black T-shirt and casual trousers for a King Rat outfit, complete with whiskers.

Tom Cotcher, who normally plays a plain-clothes detective, was transformed into the pantalooned Alderman Fitzwarren.

The corridors were full of people rushing back and forth, ready to take up position before the band struck up.

In the pit under the stage, David Carter, musical director for Danny La Rue, was fine-tuning his keyboard alongside Keith Goddard on bass guitar and drummer Dean Morris.

The Nicola Miles Theatre School provided the young chorus, split into two teams which will take turns on stage during the panto's run.

Those sitting out the dress rehearsal watched from the 506-seat auditorium and screamed and shouted in response to the cast's antics.

The script contained a steady stream of topical gags, including a dig at Worthing's infamous seaweed and a swipe at the National Curriculum.

Even shadow home secretary Anne Widdecombe got a mention during a bad hair joke.

Amy Rogers, as Tommy the Cat, must have been baking in her furry black and white costume as she leapt around the stage like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Andrea Lowde, who plays Dick Whittington, showed remarkable footwork in thigh-length stiletto-heeled boots.

She and the rest of the cast kept up the pace for more than two hours under blazing lights as producer David Smith looked on from the sidelines.

He is delighted with the advance ticket sales for Dick Whittington, which have topped £100,000 - close to a record for the Connaught.

Dick Whittington runs until Sunday, January 7. To book tickets, ring 01903 206206.