Is this the year of Cinderella? Or is it just a lot of balls? Certainly, the rags-to-riches fairytale is getting a good airing in 2021. First there was Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End musical adaptation, which suffered a stuttering start thanks to Covid-19 before opening in August to warm reviews. The following month, Amazon released its own Cinderella, a dreadful musical update redeemed only by the sparky performance of Edinburgh's Tallulah Greive as the prince's sister.

And now the panto season is upon us, Cinderella is sweeping up in theatres all over Scotland. To collect the set, you'll need to travel to Inverness, where Steven Wren's production at Eden Court is delayed from last year; Greenock, where the Beacon Arts Centre cast includes several Still Game and River City faces; and Glasgow, where you can choose to go to the ball at either the Pavilion or the King's. You'll find amateur productions in Largs and Dundee, and if you wait until March, you can see Cinderella On Ice at Edinburgh's Royal Highland Centre.

So what is it that makes this story quite so appealing right now? Barrie Hunter, writer, director and dame of Perth Theatre's production sees it as a metaphor for our release from lockdown. 'Cinderella is arguably the best known and loved of all pantos,' he says. 'We were originally going to stage it last Christmas, but Covid sadly put paid to that. It seemed absolutely the right choice to go for it this year: a story of a young person, put upon, confined and distressed by circumstances beyond her control, being enabled to escape those shackles and live an improved life as a result. Rather apt, I'd say.'

Elaine C Smith was a warm and cheery Fairy Godmother in Aberdeen a few years ago, and in her time has played the Wicked Stepmother, an Ugly Sister and Cinderella herself. She's delighted to be waving her magic wand again at the Glasgow King's and, like Hunter, regards it as a tale for our times. 'I've always felt Cinderella is the most magical of stories,' she says. 'It's about survival and, above all, believing that if someone is good and kind that they're deserving of love. We all want to believe, especially given what we've all been through these last two years, that a guardian angel is looking after us. And we all want to believe in magic.'

Cinderella, Perth Theatre, until Friday 31 December; Cinderella, King's Theatre, Glasgow, until Sunday 2 January.