PANTO fans will have to make the tricky choice between Melinda Messenger, Drew from Neighbours and Nigel from Eastenders.

Former Page 3 stunner and more recently Celebrity Big Brother runner-up Melinda Messenger will head up the star-studded cast for Aladdin at the Birmingham Hippodrome.

Playing opposite Melinda as The Princess is funnyman Bobby Davro as Aladdin and Corrie star Amanda Barrie as The Slave of the Ring.

John Challis, better known as Boycie from Only Fools and Horses, will be playing the evil Abanazar and Masashi Fujimoto from TV's Banzai plays the Emperor.

Hippodrome panto favourite Don Maclean will be donning his many fabulous frock as Widow Twankey.

Audiences should also keep an eye out for a special appearance by comic book hero Spiderman.

Aladdin is directed by Nigel West and choreographed by Dollie Henry.

Going up against Aladdin will be Snow White and the Seven Dwarves starring Dan Paris, Drew from Neighbours, and a troupe of seven dwarves called The Magnificent Seven.

Paris made his panto debut in Crawley last year, but will be in front of the largest live audience of his career when he plays the tall dark handsome Prince at the Wolverhampton Grand.

Appearing alongside is Paul Hendy, best known as the co-presenter of Don't Try this at Home with Davina McCall and the presenter of Wheel of Fortune.

Former Miss World contestant Nikki Diamond, better known as Scorpio from TV's Gladiators will be playing The Wicked Queen

Comedy characters Oddjob and Chambers are played by Robin and Graham from the Grumbleweeds and Kathryn Roney will be returning to the Grand to play Snow White.

This hard working cast are going to turn out 108 performances over nine-and-a-half weeks.

Heading up the cast of Dick Whittington, at Malvern Theatres, will be Paul Bradley, better known as Nigel from Eastenders.

Alongside Bradley as Idle Jack, Anna Karen who played Olive in On the Buses, will take the part of Fairy Bowbells and Footballers Wives' star John Forgeham will play King Rat.

As well as Colin Roberts as Sarah the cook, Graham Seed and Trevor Harrison who play Nigel Pargeter and Eddie Grundy from The Archers will play Captain and Mate.

Dick Whittington runs from Thursday December, 19 to Sunday, January 12. Tickets range from £7 to £16 from the box office on 01684 892277.

Snow White runs from Saturday, December 21 to Sunday, February 23. Tickets range from £6.50 to £18.50 from 01902 429212.

Aladdin runs from Saturday, December 21 to Wednesday, February 9. Tickets are £10.50 to £22.50.

Closer to home, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas in Worcester without the Kays' panto.

Peter Pan the Panto will be the 49th pantomime to come from the company, now famous for its festive offerings.

''Peter Pan is a little bit different from the normal type of panto,'' said Dave Harlock chairman of the Kay''s Theatre Company.

''It has more of a story and is more truthful to the original than most pantos.

''Everything is there, the Lost Boys, the Indians and the Pirates. There are quite a lot of young people.''

Among the talented young performers, some of whom have performed professionally, is 10-year-old Katie Gaskins, pictured below, who has appeared in a six-month stint as Molly in Annie to Epinine and Cosette in Les Miserables at London's Palace Theatre.

The Northwick Manor pupil was also handpicked to play one of nine children in Birmingham Royal Ballet's The Nutcracker, currently taking the Hippodrome by storm.

Katie has also who has performed alongside Leslie Joseph, Lily Savage and Marti Webb as well as promoting Kylie Minogue's new waxwork at Madame Tussauds.

Katie, who trains at the Harlequin Stage School pupil plays Curly in Kays' Christmas production, Peter Pan.

Proud mum Alison said the budding star, whose 12-year-old brother Jamie is a member of Worcester Operatic Dramatic Youth Section, had been dancing her way up the ladder of fame since the age of three.

''As well as ballet, tap, modern and jazz, she also sings,'' she said.

''Although my husband and I are into amateur dramatics, this is something she always wanted to do herself. She is a confident, bubbly little girl who started dancing and it just snowballed.''

Peter Pan the Panto has already sold out which comes as good news to the company.

''We live and die by the number of bums on seats,'' said Mr Harlock. ''These shows are very expensive to stage, we are talking in the region of £30,000.''