It's pantomime time for Shropshire – oh yes it is!

Camilla Dallerup is thrilling audiences at Oakengates Theatre @ The Place, in Telford, with a starring role as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella while Jack and The Beanstalk is packing them in at Theatre Severn, in Shrewsbury.

Ludlow Assembly Rooms is also in on the act, providing a family-friendly version of Aladdin over the next week or so.

For those who thought panto must be somehow easy: think again.

Aladdin, in Ludlow, will cram 10 performances into a run that extends from December 19 to December 23.

Panto veterans, like Shropshire star John Challis, best known as Only Fools and Horses star Boycie, is presently appearing in Aladdin in Middlesborough.

Remarkably, the star was inspired to take up a career in acting after seeing the very same pantomime as a young boy.

He was transfixed by Captain Hook and is this season playing that role in the north east.

His career has come full circle – from wide-eyed expected youth dreaming of taking the stage, to respected panto veteran playing the very same role.

With so many pantos taking place, you could be forgiven for thinking that the staff who run our local theatres can put their feet up for a well-earned Christmas break.

The reverse is true. Venue managers around the county are working exceptionally hard to make sure Shropshire's spring programmes are filled with favourites for all the family.

Rachel Buchanan, the popular director of Ludlow Assembly Rooms, has snapped up John Challis for a one-night-only appearance at the venue next May.

The venue will be marking a significant anniversary and local star Challis, a patron of the venue, will lead the celebrations.

Buchanan has booked a lively and exciting programme of events for spring and another must-see event is a concert by folk star James Yorkston, who will be making his Shropshire debut on April 27.

Yorkston has a loyal fanbase and appeals equally to indie kids, festival goers and folk fans.

His appearances at the Green Man Festival, in neighbouring Powys, are the stuff of legend and Buchanan has done well to secure his services.

Bellowhead's Jon Boden will also line up in Ludlow when he brings his band, The Remnant Kings, to the venue on March 6.

It is a great pity that Buchanan has decided to move on after working hard at the venue during the past year. She will be a hard act to follow.

Entertainment industry stalwarts Debbie King, at Oakengates Theatre, and Peter Nicholson, at Theatre Severn, have also booked a thrilling programme for spring.

The two venue managers regularly liaise, to make sure their programmes are complementary and provide the best of entertainment for people across the region.

Theatre Severn has an eclectic line up with Midge Ure, Russell Kane, Madam Butterfly, Romeo and Juliet, Justin Moorhouse, Hairy Bikers, The Chuckle Brothers, Richard Herring, Fairport Convention and Chris Addison all appearing before the end of March.

Oakengates Theatre, meanwhile, has plenty of treats in store with Paul Tonkinson, Simon Day, Toploader, Lee Hurst and Chris Packham all appearing.

One intriguing booking is Jim Davidson, who will play Oakengates Theatre on March 21. Those of us with long enough memories can remember what happened the last time 'Nick Nick' appeared, back in 2006.

Davidson memorably launched an attack on his hotel, the Telford Golf and Country Club, at Sutton Heights, and then criticised Oakengates Theatre, offering to put buses on for his next visit to the town so his audience could travel to a "proper theatre" such as the Wolverhampton Civic.

He was banned by the hotel and Telford & Wrekin's political masters demanded an apology, which Davidson refused to give.

A year later, in an interview with the Shropshire Star, he said he was unrepentant and vowed never to return. "I'll never come back," he said.

Davidson has performed a U-turn and his gig will doubtless be a sell-out – though it will be interesting to see whether Mr Davidson enjoys his next visit more than he did the last.