It’s silly, it’s slapstick, it’s spectacular – it’s the Marlowe Theatre panto.

The county’s biggest pantomime has kicked off the Christmas season with a glittering cast of EastEnders stars, CBeebies presenters and a dame who has been at the helm for 16 years.

This year, it’s Beauty and the Beast, with former Albert Square resident and Strictly finalist Maisie Smith taking on the role of leading lady Belle.

Maisie and her surprisingly fantastic singing voice are joined by Horrible Histories’ Richard David-Caine as hapless heartthrob Danton, Swashbuckle’s Tyler Collins as Bougie the candlestick and West End performer Jocasta Almgill as the fairy, Cupid.

Mister Maker, aka Phil Gallagher, is also back for his sixth year as comedy sidekick Philippe Flop and Canterbury favourite Ben Roddy returns as the larger-than-life dame.

The cast creates a spell-binding show for the kids, with magical moments such as snow and rose petals falling from the sky and a smoke-and-mirrors transformation as the Beast turns back into Prince Henri, played by Joseph Hewlett, right before our eyes.

There’s always something that takes this particular panto from a fun-filled family show to a truly memorable festive event and, this year, that’s the flying car that carries Ben, dressed as a combination of Amelia Earhart and Top Gun’s Maverick, up into the air and over the heads of the astonished audience.

While I’m sure these scenes are meticulously rehearsed to avoid any airborne mishaps, there are, of course, moments that go ‘off-script’. There’s a name slip-up from American-Scottish actor Tyler, who begs us to forgive him because of his US roots, and an apology from Richard as he over-eggs his French accent in front of an unsuspecting French theatre-goer.

We’ll never truly know if these blunders are real (unless you’re a hardcore fan who frequents the show more than once over the festive season) but the mistakes are what make panto so charming. The audience is waiting for a little nudge-nudge, wink-wink moment and if we see the actors stumble, we love them all the more for it.

Music is, and always has been, at the heart of the show, with twists on songs like Pretty Fly (for a White Guy), Welcome to the Jungle, With or Without You and the Power of Love all making an appearance.

This year, the songs are even more prominent as the cast and crowd celebrate musical director Chris Wong’s 30th year at the theatre.

Chris always gets a shoutout but, in this show, he has a couple of star turns on stage, including a spot on the infamous bench alongside Ben and Phil to perform Ghostbusters – a song he’s played more than 16,000 times!

The Marlowe panto is one that always returns bigger and better, finding that sweet spot between nostalgia and show-stopping surprises that makes it a must-see every Christmas – and this year is no exception.

Beauty and the Beast is at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury until Sunday, January 12 2025. You can book tickets online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.