Panto on the right track

It has the gags, the dippy dame, the damsel in distress and the mischievous villain.

But Leith Festival's first pantomime comes with a topical twist as it follows the adventure of an evil councillor and the object of his affection - Princess Street - in a spoof take on the tram project.

A 40-strong cast is rehearsing for A-lad-in Leith, a story of good versus evil - or in this case, Leith versus the trams.

The show is written and directed by Tony Delicata, 47, who said: "It's all light-hearted. But I thought this was topical for the area and it's something people can relate to and laugh at. Anybody who has driven down the streets will know what I'm talking about. Abanazar is the evil councillor representing Edinburgh City Council, and he's a bad boy trying to win Princess Street over."