A STAR-STUDDED cast, incredible 3D effects and plenty of cheeky audience interaction combine to make Jack and the Beanstalk an unmissable treat.

Julian Clary is predictably brilliant in the role of Spirit of the Beans – Jack’s fairy godfather. Flouncing around the stage in increasingly outrageous outfits, his sassy one-liners brought the house down and his horrendous singing had the audience in stitches.

The other stand-out performance came from comedian and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, starring as Jack’s brother Simple Simon with companion Sam.

Zerdin, who has three times performed on the Royal Variety Performance, got some of the biggest laughs of the night, with Sam being openly abusive to an unsuspecting audience member and taking on a life of his own at one point.

Nigel Havers seemed to relish playing sinister villain Fleshcreep while Lee Mead made an impressive pantomime debut in the title role of Jack, sending himself up with repeated performances of Any Dream Will Do, a version of which he got to number two in the charts in 2007.

Robyn Mellor gave a strong performance as Jack’s love interest and the romance between Dame Trot, played by Jeffrey Holland, and King Crumble, played by Ian Gledhill, provided plenty of comic fodder.

The supporting cast was also excellent but it was the combination of family fun with state-of-the-art visual effects that truly made the panto transcend its genre.

In the second half, audience members were told to don 3D glasses and special effects, provided by Amazing Interactives and Creative Technology, launched themselves.

In an enchanted forest hideous creepy crawlies seemed to fly right into the audience and the sight of the giant himself, Giant Blunderbore, reaching out to grab the cast had audience members visibly squirming.

The props were also spectacular, with a giant beanstalk transporting Lee Mead high above the heads of the audience. The thunderous applause at the end was richly deserved.

*Tickets are availablefrom the box office on 02380 711811 or online at mayflower.org.uk.