It might not be the cleverest or most sophisticated Christmas pantomime presented by White Rock Players Club.

Some past shows have been more experimental, or more thoroughly satirical in their approach to the time-honoured tradition of reworking an old fairy tale as seasonal family entertainment.

But White Rock Players Club's latest offering, Cinderella (running until Dec. 29 at Oceana PARC Playhouse, 1532 Johnston Rd.) checks all the boxes for holiday fun – and a packed house of theatregoers of all ages relished every minute of the performance I attended.

Directed with great sympathy for the idiom by theatre veteran Don Briard, the success of the show is that it is squarely in the tradition established in the 1950s by such Players Club founders as Charlotte Johnson, who wrote the original script, updated for this version.

That tradition calls for a good old year-end romp featuring friends, neighbours and youngsters, with a lot of broad, ribald comedy, familiar songs, and opportunities for the audience to respond loudly. Participation is all part of the fun, and if some technical niceties of stagecraft and performance skill are glossed over, nobody minds.  

For those who already have tickets – and those who will have to act fast to snap up the few remaining seats – Cinderella will be everything they're looking for in a White Rock pantomime.

Everyone knows the story of the young girl who is endlessly put-upon by a wicked stepmother and two stepsisters, and Prince Charming, who is loath to settle down into royal duties, and who participates only under protest in a palace ball to which all the eligible young ladies of the kingdom have been invited. 

This Cinderella streamlines the familiar plot, and gives motivation for the wicked stepmother – she has been placed under an evil spell by the Demon. Hewing to Johnson's original script, it also provides Cinderella with sympathetic companions in the form of dolls that have come to life. 

Anchoring the pantomime, as he has done for more than a decade, is Bryce Mills as the Dame, the stepmother of the piece.

The British-born audience favourite's trademark cheekiness, ludicrous costumes and absurd postures are just what is required for the role of Clarice Cuttlefish, proprietor of the Pirate Perch, a mythical East Beach fish and chip restaurant in Olde White Rock.

Everyone was hooting and hollering from his first appearance at the show I saw, and even if, occasionally, a gag doesn't land, he has plenty more to follow it with. Particularly notable is his version of the Shania Twain classic Man, I Feel Like A Woman, complete with excursions into the auditorium to dally with hapless males in the audience.

But Mills has strong competition for crowd-pleasing honours this year from Matt Briard, in a bravura performance as the Demon.

Any scene that Mills hasn't stolen is carried off by Briard, who offers a very rock-n'-roll take on the evil entity, plus excellent timing that makes the most of every laugh line, and impressively flexible bass-baritone-to-screaming chops in his big number, Bad.

Jordin Yewchuk, as Cinderella, has a pleasing personality and an excellent singing voice in such numbers as Shooting Star, while Bianca Salazar manages a suitably princely bearing as Prince Charming and has an agreeable showcase in the solo number Lost In The Woods.

Charlize Matheson brings just the right kind of bright, cheery manner to the good Fairy, who must verbally spar with the Demon and put right all the mischief he has done.

Special mention must be made of Wendy Stuart, whose excellent ventriloquism allows her to play the Queen – and score some laughs – while also providing the characterization for her puppet, Harry Dolittle, as the ineffectual King.

Lauren Fisher and Sabine Lapointe are a delight as the unappealing stepsisters. Fisher is all awkward angles and utter snottiness as Winifred, the elder and taller of the two, while Lapointe is, appropriately, a symphony of ungainliness as Mildred (while also fulfilling the role of dance captain for the production) and both demonstrate they can handle the requirements of musical theatre well with their belter Stepsisters Lament.

Scott Kristjanson hits his stride in a funny turn as a suitably spaced-out Baron Throckmorgan of Ocean Park, new husband to Clarice, and oblivious to the mistreatment of his daughter, thanks to some suspect gummies provided by the Demon.

Bruce Cameron makes an unusually cerebral palace stooge as Marcus the Royal Knight – but wins laughs with a few dry zingers.

The conscientious playing of Cinderella's doll companions is also notable. Amanda Wong, as forthright Tom the toy soldier, Ellie Pitsos (complete with unshakeable French accent) as Margot the ballerina, Julia Ralph as jokester Bobo the Bear and newcomer Victoria Mills as Mittens the Kitten, all make their mark with some funny bits, offering promise for future WRPC shows.

And while the villager component of the show – a total of two flower sellers – is almost surreal in its minimalism, two other newcomers, Laurel Winkler and Lexus Keffer, manage to make their parts memorable by offering a drily humourous commentary on the action, in both words and body language.

Musical accompaniment and direction by keyboardist Marquis Byrd provides tuneful, unobtrusive support, while art designer Carla Maskall brings suitable story-book-style colour to set pieces by set designer Robin Maggs, with projected images a logical choice to replace traditional painted drops.

Kevin Kreisz' and his costume crew have provided clothes that fit the traditional panto look, including some over-the-top creations for the Dame.

Lighting and and sound is generally good, including a blacklight transformation scene (although I'm at a loss to understand why, even given the interactive nature of the show's opening, the houselights remained up during the first musical number, robbing it of much of its impact).

For tickets, visit whiterockplayers.ca, or call the box office at 604-536-7535.