With cheers, boos and hisses galore and good triumphing over evil this feel-good family pantomime presses all the right buttons.

Dick Whittington is a fabulous rags to riches tale and given the full pantomime treatment it emerges as a production that is full of festive fun. With a tip-top cast, song and dance and wonderful knockabout comedy, it’s perfect to celebrate Lighthouse’s 40th anniversary.

This is the third year that producers Peter Duncan and Duncan Reeves have been at the helm and this year they have added children’s television star Chris Jarvis to the mix as director and co-writer. Oh yes and he also stars in the title role.

He’s an inspired choice. Not only is the panto brilliantly written but Jarvis’s Dick Whittington, accompanied by his wonderfully mischievous cat Tommy (Sammy Phillips), is a character that gets the audience onside in seconds.

As the good guy hustling a crust in a rodent-infested medieval London he has one big adversary - King Rat, a brilliant baddie played by Craig Rhys Barlow.

With help from Fairy Bow Bells (Charlotte Knowles) and some hilarious hinderance from Dame Dolly Donuts (Dereck Walker), Dick and Tommy outwit King Rat and his dastardly army from the sewers.

It clears the way for Dick to marry beautiful Alice Fitzwarren (Katie Arundell) and, thanks to her father, played by multi-talented Richard Gibson, best known as Herr Flick from the classic TV sitcom ’Allo ‘Allo, he’s set to become Lord Mayor of London.

It’s a magical tale laced with plenty of topical asides and a lot of audience interaction. A great panto that appeals in equal measure to seven and seventy year olds.

Dick Whittington is at Lighthouse, Poole, until 31st December.