The idea of heading to the Torch Theatre's pantomime, Sleeping Beauty, the day after school finished seemed a great idea when I booked my tickets back in November. However after a hectic start to the festive season I was slightly worried that a couple of hours in a warm dark room might, for this tired mummy, just be the chance for a beautiful sleep.

I needn't have feared; packed with energetic performances, standout singing and humour for both young and old the Torch Theatre's annual panto had me on my feet and dancing by the end.

Another Christmas cracker written and directed by the theatre's artistic director, Peter Doran, Sleeping Beauty worked on a lot of different levels, with the kids loving the fart jokes and the adults chuckling away at the more sophisticated innuendo.

The story was extended to give it more mileage and cleverly changed so that Beauty already knew her Prince, which got rid of the oddness of her being kissed and woken by a random stranger.

Toe tapping tunes written by composer/ musical director James Williams swept the action along nicely and showcased some fine voices and harmonies. I would have liked the traditional panto sing-along with the audience, we were singing last year's well into January, but understand they are not everyone's cup of tea.

The panto was packed with other set pieces of the genre including a messy kitchen scene, audience participation, rhyming couplets aplenty and of course an indubitably domineering dame.

Dion Davies made a welcome return to the Torch Theatre for this his seventh year as the panto's dame. For me his standout performance will always be as one of Cinderella's ugly sisters back in 2014. However this year Dion did not fail to delight as Nanny Fanny with a good smattering of smut, some nifty dance moves and lots of interaction with the "hunka chunkas" in the audience.

I was worried that Sleeping Beauty might be portrayed as a bit of a drip but Miriam O'Brien's Princess Rose was ballsy and brave, with a beautiful singing voice, and she rescued her prince right back.

Maleficent, fabulously costumed and played to perfection by Francesca Goodridge, was a favourite with the kids who were delightfully terrified of her.

Stellar performances were also put in by Gareth Wyn Griffiths as the wimpy king, Joseph Robinson as the hunky Roberto, Cler Stephens as the homely Fairy Godmother and Sion Ifans as Fester the Jester. There was not a weak link in this cast.

Sean Crowley's cleverly designed sets allowed for some beautiful staging and clever use of projected images and puppetry. I won't spoil the surprise of the baby puppet for you but just say it was a big hit in both its incarnations, although I think it needed a change of costume the second time around.

Families had come from all over the country to enjoy the first public performance of this festive treat on Saturday and I noticed lots of groups without kids in the audience getting totally into the spirit of things.

Three generations of my family had a fabulously festive time at the Torch. If you are suffering a deficit of festive energy I recommend you get yourself along to Sleeping Beauty; a beautifully put on panto which will do anything but send you to sleep