HARROGATE is the happiest place to live, a survey pronounced this year, and nowhere is it happier than at the Harrogate Theatre pantomime. The home-grown one that puts the Ha-ha into Harrogate.

Co-writers David Bown and Phil Lowe, the theatre's chief and panto director respectively, can't resist mentioning Harrogate's top spot in the happiness charts in one of several topical references to life in the spa town in 2015, from the price of new homes in the old police station to the lost look of shoppers in the M&S food hall.

This is but one reason for savouring Harrogate's pantomime in the hands of Bown and Lowe for a seventh year. This year sees the return of Tom Peters, the best villain on the northern boards aside from York Theatre Royal's David Leonard. He has moved to New Zealand but, glory be, here he is, back in Yorkshire, playing both Abanazar and his doppelganger relative, the Emperor of China.

That's two Tom Peters for the price of one, and he plays on the contrast between the two with panache, while switching between roles with increasing rapidity.

Tim Stedman, in his 16th year of tomfoolery in Harrogate, delights once more with his helium-voiced combination of fast thinking yet dimwit ways, bearing the logo Adidaft in his sport-playing version of Wishee Washee. His slow-motion game of ping-pong with Peters, under UV lighting, is a brilliant comic set piece.

York Press:

Colin Kiyani as Aladdin, Philip Stewart as Widow Twankey, Hannah Margerison as Pandora the Panda and Tim Stedman as Wishee Washee in Harrogate Theatre's Aladddin. Picture: Karl Andre

Stedman is both the leader of laughter and team player and he bonds particularly well in his laundry slapstick with Philip Stewart's limerick-quipping dame, Widow Twankey, who is given a wonderful catwalk of costumes by designer Foxton.

Bown and Lowe play on James Bond's return in Spectre by creating an Abanazar-tracking agent, Jane Blonde (Katy Dean), and a Blofeld-style secret lair and a cat for the villain to boot. Colin Kiyani is a lovable Aladdin, magic carpet ride and all, and who knew Pamela Dwyer's Princess So-Shy would turn into an anything but shy rapper.

Uptown Funk is a fabulous opening number to Amie Liddle's vibrant choreography and musical director Nick Lacey keeps the music dramatic and zestful throughout, with more rock songs than usual. In combining retro references and quips for the adults with visual thrills, pop hits and Stedman's anarchy for the young ones, happiness is...the Harrogate panto.

Aladdin, Harrogate Theatre, until January 17. Box office: 01423 502116 or at harrogatetheatre.co.uk