You take your seat, costing a meagre £12, without any great expectations.
After all, this is not the Kings in Glasgow with all its finery.
If you’re performing at the Palace in Kilmarnock, it must resemble looking
out onto a white roughcast multi-storey car park.
Fortunately, the audience face the stage and what a show they are getting with this year’s Cinderella panto.
What a pair the Ugly Sisters Lavinia and Euphemia are – the Kardashians of Kilmarnock.
Along with their wicked mum Veruca Auchtercludgie, they are the stars of the show.
The Sisters, played by Fraser Boyle and James McAnerney, have most of the gags and the audience couldn’t wait to see their next wacky outfit.
Mum Veruca is Cumnock actress Ali Cleland and she gained more boos than a ghost story for a commanding performance, including some strong vocals.
Also possessing a great voice is Cinders herself, Kilmarnock girl Jennifer Hart.
The principal cast is only eight strong, so there are no hiding places.
The script in this Imagine Theatre production is tight, and Buttons (played by Gary Morrison) may be forgiven for referring to the glass slipper as the crystal slipper.
He was probably about thirty “hiya pals” in by then.
Watch out for name-checking of Riccarton, Crosshouse, Troon and Onthank, an apparent haven of real brotherly and sisterly love.
And Caprington which produces its own advent calendar – where some of the doors come boarded up.
There’s a magical surprise in the shape of a winged horse – but I will say no more on that.
A word too for the three dance squads, each of eight girls, who share the demanding schedule.
With audience participation, some catchy numbers like the opener Footloose and the Ghostbusters theme - and even pyrotechnics - there cannot be many better pantos in Scotland this year.
If you’re not booked, do so now, and support regional theatre. You won’t regret it.
And if you don’t laugh – go see your doctor.
