The panto season starts tonight with the opening of Cinderella at the Hazlitt Theatre in Maidstone.

Along with paying guests, Parkwood Theatres, the company that runs the Hazlitt on behalf of Maidstone council, had invited a number of businessmen, journalists and civic dignitaries to the first night as their guests.

Among them was the Deputy Mayor for Maidstone, Cllr Dave Naghi, but sadly Cllr Naghi has been told he can’t now go to the ball.

Cllr Naghi confirmed that he had been instructed on Tuesday by the council’s democratic services office not to attend, because of a “clash of interests.”

Cllr Naghi is the father-in-law of Danny Wright, the promoter of a rival show, Peter Pan, at the Maidstone TV Studios - first night on Friday, December 15.

Cllr Naghi’s trip to the panto had been one of three Deputy Mayor duties scheduled for the day. Earlier he was due to host a thank-you event for litter- pickers and visit Maidstone Care Centre. Both those duties are going ahead.

Cllr Naghi said: “I’m disappointed. I had been looking forward to the show.”

We guess he’ll just have to put it all behind him.