Panto returned to the stage at the Bristol Hippodrome this year with all the sparkle, silliness, and larger-than-life characters you’d expect.

Packed with familiar jokes, colourful costumes, and plenty of audience participation, this production of Jack and the Beanstalk aimed to deliver a joyous family night out. But did it succeed?

In the case of my three young reviewers, Paige, aged seven, Freya, six, and Chloe, four, it certainly did! (And I would have to agree.)

Pop icon Will Young makes his pantomime debut as the Spirit of the Beans.

Remember him from Pop Idol in 2001, where he beat rival Gareth Gates to win the show?

Well two decades on and the two singers are competing again, with Will gracing the stage at the Hippodrome, and Gareth appearing at the Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare.

Of course, this led nicely to lots of hilarious comments about Bristol’s panto being far superior, and Weston scraping the barrel with Gareth. (I wonder if Weston’s panto will do the same the other way round?)

Playing the Sprit of the Beans allowed for a rendition of Will’s winning song Evergreen.

In fact the opening bars were played every time he entered the stage.

Wearing a splendid green sparkly costume, he took on the role with gusto, really making it his own.

We all knew he was a good singer, but it appears he can act rather well too.

He made the Spirit of the Beans a likable character, fulfilling the classic fairy godmother role.

Along with Will there are a few other familiar names in this year’s panto.

Charlie Brooks (most well known for playing Janine in EastEnders) took on the role of the villain – Mrs Blunderbore, the giants wife.

Skulking around the stage dressed all in black she elicited the required ‘booooos’ from the audience, and seemed to really enjoy it.

There was also a comic referral to her ‘pushing Barry off a cliff’, as well as the opening beats to EastEnders during a dramatic moment.

She was joined by TV favourite Richard Cadell as Silly Simon, accompanied by both Sooty and Sweep!

Proving that panto is for big kids too, we were encouraged to call out Sooty’s famous catchphrase ‘Izzy wizzy let’s get busy’ whenever a magic trick took place.

And there were a fair few tricks throughout the show, with one that I am still trying to figure out how it worked!

And of course, panto in Bristol would not be complete without our very own Andy Ford, who must have appeared in more shows than even he can remember.

His character is always predictable – but this in no way takes away from the comedy, which always has everyone laughing.

I think it has become a running joke now that Andy’s first line when he steps onto the stage is to say ‘this year I am …..’.

This year he was the lovable but dim-witted Farmer Andy.

As with every year that I have seen him his enjoyment and love of what he is doing shines through – for me he encompasses everything that panto in Bristol is all about.

And just a final note for the portrayal of the giant.

 This was incredible!

A larger than life electronic figure, that practically lunged off the stage into the audience.

Maybe scary for some younger audience members, though the girls with me thought it was brilliant.

They were open mouthed in amazement.