THERE is nothing that gets me into the festive spirit quite like a pantomime character spraying me in the face with a water pistol.

John Lewis adverts and Fairytale of New York on the radio always fail to make me feel Christmas-y - but a spot of panto tomfoolery and I’m suddenly filled with a sense of Christmas cheer and seasonal goodwill.

PC Pong, armed with some sort of super soaker, did the honours this year in the rip-roaring mayhem that was Aladdin at Malvern Theatres.

The show was a rollercoaster ride of toe-tapping tunes, laugh-out-loud gags and special effects that kept the audience cheering and hollering from beginning to end.

Throw in a healthy dose of audience interaction, a CGI flying carpet sequence and the compulsory cries of “he’s behind you” and the end result was a fantastic evening of family fun.

Children’s television star Chris Edgerley, who is known for presenting Hi-5 on Cartoonito, played Aladdin in his mission to woo the beautiful Princess Jasmine, played by Rebecca Marks.

The nasty Abanazar, portrayed by Robert Powell of The Detectives fame, however had different ideas and was out to foil the “street rat” and grab the magical lamp for his evil plans.

But forget the storyline – everyone knows it anyway and it is hardly important.

What really matters in a panto is the crazy clowning around, the absurd antics, the fabulous frolics of the comedy characters.

Step forward Derek Moran as Wishee Washee, Mark James as PC Pong and Ian Good as Widow Twankey.

The hapless trio bounced off each other perfectly and it was their episodes on stage that drew the biggest laughs and reactions from the audience.

A prop-led rendition of 12 Days of Christmas – with everybody screaming “five toilet rolls” – was a real crowd pleaser while a ghost chase had the kids shouting out loud.

For me however Widow Twankey was the star of the show.

Her – or should it be his – facial expressions, banter with the front row and ad-libbing was the funniest part of the production.

This was the first panto I’ve been to outside of a big city. Last year I went to shows in Birmingham and Wolverhampton and was treated to genuinely funny, laugh-out-loud performances from Paul Zerdin and Joe Pasquale – and, while perhaps not in the same league, Ian Good was on top form.

Other notable moments were the gags that poked fun at local places – Elgar Avenue, Pound Bank and Ledbury coming in for stick – and versions of pop classics from Sam Smith and Taylor Swift.

Carrie Rawlings was fun as the Slave of the Ring while Conor Barrie, who played the Genie of the Lamp without fault, was more notable for his incredibly toned abs.

Spencer Gibbins played the emperor with consummate professionalism and the backing dancers, including Malvern girl Amelia Arnold, were a great addition to the cast.

I left the theatre full of festive fun and looking forward to the big day ahead.

I’m just worried that if my Christmas-y feeling fades my wife will reach for the water pistol.