A real-life evil spell was cast over last night’s proceedings in the form of traffic congestion, so severe that despite a delayed start many of the audience did not take their seats until well after the show was under way. Those late arrivals missed some pre-show practice for audience participation; exhortations to do Mexican waves, to cheer or to wave are projected onto a screen well before the curtain rises.
The show itself is exceptionally colourful right from the start, with spectacular costumes and glittery backdrops in abundance. Director Tess Gibbs has made no attempt to seriously subvert the hallowed traditions of this peculiarly British form of musical theatre, though this Snow White features no Dame in drag and no Principal Boy. In the title role Francesca Lara Gordon is suitably sweet, but not overly so, and she certainly has a more powerful voice than is normally associated with the role, delivering a convincing River Deep, Mountain High at the finale.
Shaun Dalton’s Prince is appropriately handsome and dashing, though his relationship with Snow White is rather low-key, with broad comedy taking precedence over romance. There are two clown roles: Muddles and Herman the Henchman, played respectively by Andy Day and Andy Ford. Both actors are talented comics with the happy knack of instantly engaging with a young audience, but Hippodrome pantomime regular Andy Ford gets by far the biggest slice of the cake and is seldom off the stage, while local CBeebies star Andy Day is relatively under-employed. One clown too many, perhaps.
The bona fide star of the show, of course, is Warwick Davis; he plays Prof, the resourceful leader of the dwarfs. We don’t meet him until Herman has abandoned Snow White in the forest, and his long anticipated appearance was greeted rapturously by last night’s audience. Davis undoubtedly exudes star quality – his Elvis impersonation is a surreal highlight – but not all of his fellow dwarfs deliver their lines with confidence, and some of their slapstick moments fall a little flat. However, the scenes with Snow White in their cottage in the forest have great charm, especially when they launch into Always look on the bright side of life accompanied by friendly forest creatures.
The most memorable performance comes from Kim Ismay as Snow White’s would-be nemesis, the murderous Queen Morgiana. Ismay’s extensive experience in cabaret is evident both in her stagecraft and in the very high quality of her singing. She plays the role with a delicious sense of menace, and when she is on stage there is a sense of excitement that is in rather short supply elsewhere. The scene where she tempts Snow White with the poisoned apple has real drama, drawing the loudest response of the evening from the younger members of the audience anxious to prevent the evil witch from entering the cottage.
Though the jokes feature some mild innuendo to keep older members of the audience amused this is a very family-friendly production, and rightly so. Even Shaun the Sheep puts in a special guest appearance. Christmas Panto is often a child’s first experience of live theatre, and this show will certainly persuade youngsters that theater is place full of fun, and they will surely want to go again. Older members of the audience will also find much to enjoy, though some will feel that this Snow White is lacking some of the ingredients that create the enchantment and magic found in the very best of pantomimes. ★★★☆☆ Mike Whitton 9th December 2015
