DOES anyone think it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas?

Probably not, but that doesn’t stop thespians from planning ahead for that magical time of year.

Gourock’s Parish Players are appealing for recruits to take part in and help organise their panto, ‘Treasure Island’, which will no doubt go down a treat with kids of all ages.

No-one expects an expensively slick Hollywood-style production, and that is exactly the point of staging it.

Everyone who gets involved is there for the fun of it, helping to generate community spirit and continuing a proud Gourockian tradition.

The tale of skullduggery on the high seas, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling classic, will have younger members of the audience going about for days declaring ‘Arrr, Jim lad!’ and ‘ahoy there, me hearties!’

Meanwhile, in rather more genteel mode, Greenock Players are gearing up for their panto ‘Cinderella’ at the Beacon.

They promise ‘all the ingredients of the perfect pantomime — a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh-out-loud comedy, spectacular scenery and special effects, beautiful costumes and lots of boos and hisses for all the family to enjoy’.

This will be followed by the Beacon’s own Snow White, billed as being ‘wickedly funny’.

It will feature a special guest appearance by CBeebies’ star Justin Fletcher as the Magic Mirror, appearing as a pre-recorded video, no less.

Now, I wonder if it’s too early to start writing Christmas cards ...