Bah! Humbug.

December is a trying month for anyone who loves theatre as endurance test, longs for social engagement or a quiet auditorium to rub salt into their wounds. With our editor desperately searching for something to moan about – last seen heading to Edinburgh seeking out some Sarah Kane to stave off seasonal jollity – the venues are safe to bring out their big names for the annual pantomime show-down.

Elaine C Smith has decamped to Aberdeen for Cinderella, leaving Glasgow wide open for the traditional King's team-up of Gerard Kelly and Karen Dunbar in Aladdin. Kelly has been at the Buttons for years now, and works that crowd with sweeties and sing-alongs, while Dunbar can do goodie and baddie with equal aplomb.

It's a treat to hear the auditorium explode into song and actually see young people enjoying the theatre, as opposed to being dragged along for a school trip. The rival King's in Edinburgh brings a version of Robinson Crusoe, no doubt with a touch of Johnny Depp's hip pirate style.

Even The Arches gets in on the act: this year's Red Riding Hood may not have Al Seed directing, but it does have Random Accomplice's Julie Brown. Random Accomplice have been bridging the gap between edgy theatre and comedy for a while, and the show does promise "a modern urban twist or two".

The Tron never takes a straightforward approach to pantomime, and Ya Beauty and the Beast has that distinctive Scottish identity that made last year's show a scream. And The Pavilion comes into its own – their New Pinnochio will have mischief and the classic asides to adults that makes pantomime a genuine all-ages show.

Come January, the seriousness will be back, and Scotland can be upbraided, challenged and provoked again. In the meantime, there is plenty to actually enjoy.