Lagging behind quite badly now but I'm determined to write up my final London show at some point. A little closer to home, I had the pleasure (and it was mostly pleasure) of seeing Edinburgh Theatre Arts' Aladdin at the weekend. And a fine Aladdin it was too.

You'll know (or at least imagine) that I'm not the biggest fan of pantomime. I was spoilt as a child by a diet of Kenneth Alan Taylor at Nottingham Playhouse. So I wouldn't wander anywhere near the Kings now if I could help it. Not to denigrate this ancient art form as done wonderfully, it's proper magic. But that aside, I'm fussy I suppose. That's all.

However, loping along to see something your friends are in is quite a different (Marion) kettle of fish anyway. Dear Iain was the Emperor, complete with adorable little dance. And we also encountered the unexpected pleasure of Stephanie-Sarah (Harlequin's shepherdess love from the start of the year) as the sweetly pretty princess, Mr Farrimond as a fabulously buxom Widow Twankee and SCDA Stuart being dreadfully underused but it happens to the best of us as a comic policeman. Four for the price of one.

The script. Well it had some very funny lines in it. Some perky enough songs. There was some fabulous villany from Abu-whatever (my, I can't spell his name) and his honourable sidekick. Wishee Washee was brilliantly scatty. (Boys, if you're reading this, audition for my 2011 festival show, will you?) Aladdin had a very nice voice. And the lamp genie should be a proper rockstar.

We had cupcakes at the start and a nice little cup of wine in the interval. Oh yes we did. Lovely festive stuff.