TRANSFORMATIONS being of the essence, Ofpants was impressed with how the Motherwell team

handled the crucial magic moment despite a smallish stage and limited resources. Even if it doesn't all take place before our very eyes, the final effect - a sparkly sled, Cinders in a ginormous crinoline, and glitzy, ritzy white costumes for the dancers - produced gasps of satisfaction from the little girls around us.

The most amazing transformations however, lurk elsewhere. Who would have thought that Lou Reed would prove the source of the finale's happy-ever-after song? And no - Cinders doesn't husk out a version of I'm Waiting for my Man. The song in question is Perfect Day, revamped of late by the BBC promotional whizz kids and now a word-perfect hit with wised-up children in audiences everywhere.

Jonathan Wilkes, a Prince with definite keen appeal and Joanne Birchall's pretty Cinders sang this and several other solos and duets - tunefully and with more ease than they delivered the dialogue; the latter in the interests of romance needs a more conversational tone.

Also transformed - by virtue of Teletubby costumes - is the old balloon-passing routine, deftly accomplished by Gary Taggart (Buttons) and that master of panto tricks, Jimmy Logan (Baron Hardup).

Logan and Taggart really drive the fun in this show with the Uglies (Jamie Adair and Carl Masson) doing little more than a few stock gags in between parading various outre frocks.

A little slapstick would transform their double act into something approaching pantomime, growled Ofpants before enthusiastically launching into the nods, winks, and waves of Logan's ditty about nobs and thingummy bobs. We look forward to the Lou Reed cover-version of this one.