Most panto productions star adults and sprinkle in a few juveniles to pad out the chorus and dancers. But not here.

The Elite Dance Company’s first foray into am-dram turned the whole show upside down, reversing the roles. And the result was brilliant.

The choreography by Bekah Marshall and Katie Hogan and the acrobatic dancing was, of course, superb, as you would expect from a dance school. But the skills of singing and acting from its members were simply astonishing.

Disney’s fairytale about a precocious young prince turned into a hideous horned monster by a witch has been a cartoon, a live-action film and a musical. Now it is a pantomime.

Maidstone entertainer Ryan Cottee, who runs the dance company based at Iwade, Sittingbourne, wrote the script, directed the show and wowed the crowd as panto dame Mrs Potts (played in the 2017 film by Emma Thompson).

His side-kick Keith Reynolds, best known locally as the chap behind the bi-annual Iwade Rocks music festival, took to the stage for his theatrical debut, taking on Kevin Kline’s movie role as the goggle-wearing inventor Maurice. His daughter Anna was also in the cast as Chip.

Keith and Ryan were the comic turns and included a well-rehearsed custard pie routine.

But it was the youngsters, ranging in age from four to 18, who stole the show at Gillingham’s Glassbox Theatre. Poppy Webb excelled as Belle, the beauty in the title, with a word-perfect performance and a singing voice to die for.

Isabella Shin was on sparkling form as the poetical pink-wigged Double Bubble, ably assisted by pint-sized four-year-old Delilah Parker as Bubble Pop.

Ray Jacobs was suitably obnoxious as the odious Gaston who went on to knife the Beast.

Spoiler alert: Belle’s tears brought the Beast (played by Abi Hook) back to life in time for an all-singing, all-dancing finale featuring Walk The Moon’s top pop song Shut Up and Dance With Me.

There was also Bad by Michael Jackson, a bit of Abba and the Beauty and the Beast theme tune plus cracking costumes which made this a wonderful feel-good night’s entertainment, peppered with topical jokes, some of which may have gone well over the young cast’s heads.

It even included the now obligatory Sheppey joke. How very dare they...