Peter Unsworth enjoys a late pano at the Wootton Community Centre

In recent years those traditional Christmas pantomime stories - Cinderella, Puss in Boots, Jack and the Beanstalk, and so on - have made way for so-called up-to-date ones. Not always with success.

But One Foot in the Gravy, the tale of how a turkey escapes being the centre of attraction at Christmas dinner, certainly is.

Written by Mary Druce, from Abingdon, it was given its world premiere by The Wootton Players last week and proved a hit with capacity audiences.

Upper hand: Rosy Himpson as Rose Pink getting the better of arch baddie Helen Damnation, played by Kate Schomberg, in One Foot in the Gravy

Mary directed the show and got the best out of a group which contained many newcomers, a tribute to the Players' policy of open auditions.

Allen Dannfald as Stan the turkey, was outstanding, a young man with a talent to hold an audience. Jon Crowley, as Tilly, the cook, gave excellent support. It was difficult to believe this was his first venture in pantomime.

Two teenagers, Rosie Himpson and Ned Crowley were principal girl and boy, both showing promise, Ned in particular indicating that he knows how to 'work' an audience. Full marks also to Jenny Shepherd who took over at the last minute because of illness the part of Bonnie, an Internet genie (I said it was a different panto theme!). A 48-hour crash-learning session ensured that no one realised there had been any cause for panic.

Kate Schomberg not only created a magnificent range of costumes but also played the part of Helen Damnation, the villain of the piece.

The show had a generous helping of youngsters whose quick change from goblins to villagers and back again - three times in all - was a lesson in discipline as well as a masterpiece of dexterity on the part of the make-up team of Sue Collins and Rachel Ludlow.

Two other characters remain fixed in the memory - Computer-Mouse, played by eight-year-old Emma Ludlow, and Jack, the scruffy and somewhat insanitary pieman, a role undertaken by John Cooper, the Vicar of Wootton. Somehow sermons will never be the same again for his flock.

All in all, a good evening's entertainment.