THE GRAND'S Christmas panto Peter Pan successfully took off, with an hilarious and solid opening night.

It's a show that's got wings, thanks to the comedically talented Smee (Steve Royle), larger than life baddie Cap'n Hook (EastEnders' Tony Caunter) and the sweet youngsters Wendy and Peter Pan (Sarah Craven and CBBC's Sophie McDonnell).

At nearly three hours it was practically an epic for the very young, but there was always plenty going on, from rather good fencing fights between Hook and Pan to singing along with Maureen Nolan's Lancashire mermaid, Tiger Lily's Indians and the Lost Boys.

Tumbling troupe The Nitwits made a high-energy addition to the crew of the Jolly Roger, helping to whip the full house up to a frenzy.

As always though it was the kids in the audience that brought the house down with their antics. You can always rely on Blackpool audiences to be different, so when youngsters invited to the stage told Smee they wanted a pogo stick and a sweetie for Christmas the place erupted.

It was all good, clean fun with all the magical flying, slapstick, silly jokes, acrobatics and audience participation you could ever want from a panto version of J M Barrie's classic tale. And it's mercifully short on schmaltzy songs. Which is why it's the perfect Christmas show for the whole family.