Sneak peek at Pinocchio rehearsals at Newcastle Theatre Royal with Joe McElderry, Clive and Danny

Inside a rehearsal room at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle, we watch a whirl of action - slick song and dance numbers one minute; sheer slapstick the next - as the cast of this year's pantomime run through the show's first half.

We're sitting in on a rehearsal of Pinocchio the week before its big opening night and the team - led by Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Joe McElderry - are in full flow.

They might not have the stand-out set pieces yet; the glitzy costumes nor all the props at their disposal but the room is filled with just the kind of energy and passion they'll need to see them through the panto's whopping seven-week run which begins on November 28 and includes three performances a day on a Saturday. And once again it's clear that audiences are in for a treat.

Without giving anything away, there will be fun special effects and surprises in store in this new production - a rare panto take on the age-old tale of the puppet whose nose grows longer when he tells a lie. And with Danny playing Pinocchio and Clive the toymaker Geppetto who has created him out of wood, it's fast and furious entertainment with Joe adding to the fun as Jiminy Cricket who, following a dance routine, opens the show with When You Wish Upon A Star.

• Read more: Pantomimes in and around Newcastle this Christmas - all you need to know
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As usual, the theatre's Christmas treat - from leading panto producer Michael Harrison who has co-written it and also directs - has been selling fast and the panto team prove so popular that tickets are already on sale for next year's show - which is to be The Little Mermaid.

Joe has signed up for that too, which will be his fourth outing with Danny and Clive who have starred in the Theatre Royal panto now for 18 years. Audiences will be glad to see the return of other panto regulars Chris Hayward as Dame Rita and Michael Potts as the toymaker's assistant Mick, along with Wayne Smith who this time swaps his usual leading Prince role for the baddie - The Great Stromboli - who is out to find a new attraction to make money. And Pinocchio is in his sights.

Stromboli's Geordie co-conspirators are played by Kylie Ann Ford and Christina Berriman Dawson and at Tuesday's rehearsal we also saw West End performer Amelia Walker in the role of The Blue Faerie and some first-class dance routines from the Spark Fire Dance ensemble. For tickets to Pinocchio's November 28 to January 14 run see here.