The Wizard of Oz

RICHARD BATSON

Sheringham Little Theatre

Nine pm in the Big Brother House, and the inmates are going wild.

The action is in full swing at Sheringham's panto, which bills the TV reality show's former housemate Bubble among the stars.

But while the telly spectacle ends with one winner, this show has a stage full.

Paul Ferguson, aka Bubble, impresses as the scarecrow, with acting skills and stage presence which prove there is more to BB personalities than egos and oddness.

Copyright reasons mean there are, disappointingly, no signature songs such as Follow the Yellow Brick Road, and there ain't nothing like a dame either, in a show which seems more musical than traditional pantomime.

It does, however, have its required seasonal portions of baddies, goodies, look-out- behind-you's and singalong action songs.

Dorothy is played by Caroline Ruskell, who is the real life “Mrs Bubble”, with a sweet singing voice as the cream on her nice-as-apple-pie character.

But the driving force behind the fun is the scarecrow, lion (Ben Goodridge) and tin man (local radio presenter Greg Powles), whose well-timed knockabout humour is the engine room for the action.

Green-skinned and black-hearted wicked witch Rebecca Oliver has the theatre “boo-ometer” spinning with her evil, while the aah factor comes with a bunch of manic munchkin children, and a cute dog.

Judy Garland it ain't, but there's fun, music, spectacle, and more corn than a Kansas prairie.

The show runs until January 2. www.sheringhamlittletheatre.co.uk