The news that a first time ever professional panto was being staged at Cottiers had Ofpants, the official panto watchdog, chivvying me to meet him there on Sunday evening.

He was bristling with curiosity: Scrooge and pantomime don't easily partner up in his experience. As for Cottiers, the watchdog had memories of the venue that suggested the team behind this venture had set themselves some interesting design and technical challenges.

His checklist afterwards showed a mixed response. In terms of sheer, undaunted effort, he couldn't help but be impressed. A cast of four – five if you count the live musician (Ian Bustard) who valiantly donned wrapping paper as the Ghost of Christmas Present – had dashed on and off and on again at speed to deliver an updated Glesga version of Dickens that had topicality and satire in its sights, but which was never quite on target.

The present day Scrooge (Callum Cuthbertson) ran a dodgy pawnbrokers with connections to lowlife swindling and fencing. His nephew (Claire Knight, in one of her many roles) was prone to rapping, lived in a high-rise flat and hung out with social security cheats – he was kind-hearted and had some catchy songs 'n'all. Mark Cox, who co-wrote the script and songs with Bustard, went the extra mile in versatility by Dame-ing it as chantoosie Thelma and working hand-in-glove with Tiny Tim, a puppet. Isabelle Joss ran the gamut from warbling Ghost to Cratchit girlie to cackling old hag. But it was hardly panto as Ofpants knows and champions it.

Though it kept revving up to be killingly funny, it tended to flatline. The action singalong at the end did get Ofpants joining in though the heating in Cottiers, like the show, is a bit hit and miss.

HH