SLEEPING Beauty reunites the creative partnership of writer Andrew Pollard and producer Joyce Branagh for the fourth consecutive year in Huddersfield, with their experience and enthusiasm shining strongly in a pantomime packed with regional gags, double entendres and audience interaction.

The cast of familiar faces from previous productions underpins the exuberance, with the easy rapport between performers a joy to watch. It's particularly evident when Robin Simpson as Nanny Fanny and Nicola Jayne Ingram as Hester the Jester humorously ad lib to cover audience interventions and fluffed lines.

Such moments are key drivers in a production that, on paper at least, has questionable pacing and a plot that only broadly stays true to the original fairy story.

In a female-centric narrative, the villainous Belladonna Bile (Hayley Russell) puts a curse on Princess Aurora (Alyce Liburd) that makes her fall asleep for 100 years. No-one's passive victim, she's more than capable of looking after herself, with the support of Fairy Falalala (Esther-Grace Button).

There are no whizz-bang effects in the show — the biggest wow moment being a large billowing dragon — but it has plenty of imaginative charm. Mark Walters' stage design resembles a children's glitter book and Chris Brearley's lighting is magical when he creates the appearance of vines twining around the royal castle.

The soundtrack and cultural references are largely geared towards the adults — a medley for the Princess's 18th birthday includes ABBA and Chic, while there are nods to Mary Poppins as Fairy Falalala descends from the ceiling, and to Dirty Dancing, in a duet between Nanny and Richard Hand's King Herbert the Hesitant.

There's nonetheless plenty of colourful action and hijinks to appeal to younger members of the audience, despite Bile's threat that she “hates kids more than joy!”

Runs until January 6, box office: thelbt.org