Do you want to take part in the panto? Then the Derngate is the place for you. Pantogoers there positively revel at the chance to make themselves heard – and rather like singing in the bath, your contribution sounds all the more impressive for echoing round the Derngate’s cavernous auditorium.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs provides lots of opportunities to shout and boo, from the moment Muddles (Pete Hillier) comes on and says: “Hiya, gang!”

Mind you, I’m not sure about one of his suggestions: having invited you to shake hands with your neighbours, in the manner of a matey church service, you are then asked to “turn to the person sitting behind you, and give them a big, wet kiss”.

It’s time to boo. With a sneer accentuated by her sparkly crimson lipstick, on sweeps Queen Lucretia (Linda Lusardi), wearing a black cloak, of course. “Good day, peasants!” she snarls.

The booing promptly rises to a crescendo. Indeed the only person who seems to like the ghastly woman is her toadying servant, Chambers (Richard Shelton), and even he turns against her in the end. Lucretia quickly moves on to her main mission: to kill Snow White (Emily Shaw) before her 21st birthday, for she will then replace Lucretia as Queen.

Snow White has taken refuge with the good-hearted, friendly, and immensely cheerful dwarfs (Michael Walter, Jamie Cameron, Phil Searle, Craig Salisbury, Jason Tompkins, Peter Bonner, and Stephen Boyd). “Don’t let anyone in while we’re out at work,” they tell Snow White.

Unfortunately, Snow White doesn’t heed their warning – or the much louder “no!” from the audience – and proceeds to bite into a poisoned apple offered by a hunchbacked old lady – the Queen in disguise (pictured).

Fast to Snow White’s rescue comes wholesome, if slightly smarmy, Prince Michael: he’s plainly a man who thinks quite a lot of himself. The Prince is played by Sam Kane, who also directs the production. There’s a delicious irony built into the show, for Kane is married to Linda Lusardi in real life. Their two children are also in the cast.

Yes, this is a big-scale, commercial panto. But references to sponsors are kept to a minimum, and the whole snappily drilled production exudes warm humour – you really feel the expert cast are enjoying their work. Even Muddles’s several lavatorial jokes seem entirely inoffensive.

Highly recommended.

Snow White continues at Royal & Derngate, Northampton, until January 10. Tickets: 01604 624811 or online (www.royalandderngate.co.uk).