Cinderella Pantomime, London Palladium

Dust off your glass slippers! Your fairy godmothers at Culture Whisper have found a sassy, saucy and irresistibly silly show to make your Christmas calendar sparkle.

The Great British pantomime tradition, complete with outrageous costumes, gaudy comedy and the dreaded demand of audience participation, will be at its biggest and best in the production of Cinderella at the London Palladium coming up in December. Panto is usually the reserve of regional theatres and town halls, but this big budget West End production comes with a starrier cast than usual.

Sadly, Cinderella's star-studded cast is perhaps a little more chat show than showstopper, with TV personalities that include Amanda Holden, Paul O'Grady, Julian Clary and Lee Mead heading the line-up.

Cinders herself is played by musical theatre rising star Natasha J Barnes. After Sheridan Smith took a leave of absence from Funny Girl earlier in 2016, her understudy Barnes was thrust into the spotlight as leading lady. With her own brand of star power, Barnes impressed even the most disappointed Sheridan fans and we look forward to seeing her take on the fairytale princess.

If you're looking for enlightenment this Christmas, we can't promise that Cinderella will be your guiding star. And with tickets making a dent of up to £135, the cost of a spot of light relief seems a little steep. But if you want something gaudy, garish and totally beguiling, this Christmas show could be the key to your fairytale ending.