Dick Whittington and his Kool Kool Kat is a brash, beaty rock 'n' roll panto for the nineties being premiered at the Queen's this Christmas.

Dick's cat Tommy talks with her master via her saxophone and is very jealous of his romance with spunky Alice Fitzgerald, while her father, the alderman, is an inventor who has built a rocket for space travel.

Whittington is a likely lad from Hornchurch, who walks to the City because of problems with the District Line, while Steve Edwin's superb King Rat is a nifty operator on the electric guitar.

He has by far the best lines in the new panto written by Queen's artistic director Bob Carlton, better known perhaps for his rock musical smash West End hit Return to the Forbidden Planet.

With space travel including a visit to Planet R'atari all the puns that can be made on rats are there, while there are space rockets buzzing back and forth over the stage and the auditorium in the spectacular battle between good and evil.

Diana Croft as the good fairy has a delightful young assistant wearing L-plates and getting the plaudits, while most of the traditional panto ideas are still in a show which depends on its modern beaty sound and drive for its success.

The panto's only weakness is its poor comedy. Even the best of dames need good material to get the laughs and most of the time Chris MacDonnell as Sarah the Cook is left struggling.

Richard Brightliff and Nina Lucking make a nice couple as Dick and Alice and Liz Marsh's Tommy is as attractive as any of the Cats in that famous musical.

Rating: 4/5.

Dick Whittington is at the Queen's Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch until January 23.

Kool for cats - Dick Whittington and feline companion get the unique Bob (Return to the Forbidden Planet) Carlton treatment at the Queen's Theatre

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