PANTOMIME is that most quintessential of family entertainments and you have to hand it to the Lakes Players they certainly know how to stage one.

Like their Burneside counterparts BATS, they have the ambition, talent and strength in theatrical depth to pull it off superbly.

With the promise of enough laughs to make your sides ache, Lakes Players' put on Cinderella at The Lakes School, Troutbeck Bridge, from Wednesday until Sunday, January 24-28.

Once again, Stewart Hart is on the director's throne leading the royal and loyal LP team, winding up to wow audiences with a priceless production of fun, comedy, cracking choreographed dance numbers and panto pranks galore.

Dressed to impress, the cast includes Alex Wickens as Buttons, Stewart and Nicky Woods are in the guise of ugly sisters, Verucca and Hernia; Debs Bradshaw waves her magic wand as fairy Nita; Rachel Baines plays Cinderella; Amy Miller is the Baroness; Caitlin Taylor is the thigh-slapping Dandini and telling the timeless tale as Narrator will be Racheal Slater.

Not forgetting of course, Lakes Players resident dancers the Ambleside-based Maria Francis School of Dance.

Prince Gaston is played by talented performer Matthew Chadbourne, who has been involved with the Lakes Players for 15 years, his first panto being Jack and The Beanstalk in 2004.

Matthew said that this year director Stewart wanted to do something different and shake up the aspects of the casting and the characters: "Prince Gaston is a very grounded character, a lot more in touch with 'serious' acting than I have seen done before. There's still humor and whit, sarcasm and energy, but there's a lot more seriousness and a real sense of the Prince and Cinderella's relationship. He's a very traditional character, with a few of our twists."

Matthew is studying theatre and event technology at Kendal College and explained that he's learned to appreciate theatre a lot more: "Being part of Lakes Players has really allowed me to feel the working mechanics of a production, which is something I would like to move into as a career. I've learned to always keep the audience in mind. It's them that almost have to believe the part more than you.

"If they're laughing, or they're crying, or they're cheering, that makes it all worth it. People use theatre and panto as escapism, and I've really learned how powerful productions can be. Especially for children.

So what's Matthew's favourite pantomime gag: "For me it's not so much the gags, it's the subtle jokes that may go over some people heads. It's funnier, at least for me, when improvisation knocks people off script. The audience love it. It always helps moving from rehearsals to an audience, because all the jokes that got old and unfunny, become funny again. It's the places where it goes wrong, and it's self aware. It's the expressions on people faces. There's a great cast this year, and it will be a very funny show.

As panto week approaches, Matthew said it's a surreal experience: "It's one of family and connection, but there is so much fun and enjoyment to have. I've made so many friends and we're just all one big family. For an amateur show, the level of professionalism of everyone involved is stellar. The amazing lights from Paul Gavin (Purple Sheep Lighting) and the songs, dances and acting really come together. There's nothing like it."

Performances start at 7pm with matinee performances on the Saturday and Sunday, 1.30pm. No evening performance Sunday.

Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/lakesplayers or buy in person from Aqua Hair, Bowness or Barbara Blackwell Alterations Ambleside.