12 December – 12 January
Christmas pantomime SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS opens at Bath’s Theatre Royal with the cast led by Children’s TV presenter Olivia Birchenough, Panto favourite Jon Monie and dazzling Dame Nick Wilton.
When the magic mirror declares Snow White to be “the fairest of them all”, the vain, wicked queen flies into a jealous rage and demands her revenge. Making her escape Snow White discovers a cottage in the forest inhabited by seven dwarfs who welcome her warmly into their home. But danger soon returns when a mysterious old lady arrives at their door selling apples and Snow White’s friends must rally to help her.
With a new script by Bath’s all-round pantomime legend Jon Monie, this thrilling fairy-tale follows a princess trying to flee the clutches of her evil step-mother with the help of her friends the seven dwarfs, a delicious Dame, her hilarious son and a handsome Prince, who come to Snow White’s rescue. Bursting with comedy, great songs and dance routines, beautiful costumes and plenty of audience participation, this panto extravaganza is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.
The role of Snow White is played by award-winning Olivia Birchenough, well known to family audiences as a children’s television presenter on Channel 5’s Milkshake! for the last 12 years. Winner of Best Leading Female at both The Great British Pantomime Awards and The Panto Insider Awards in 2017, Olivia has previously starred in the title role in Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty in theatres across the UK. As well as presenting on-screen each morning, Olivia has starred in Milkshake!’s many theatre tours and Bop Box series across the UK. She made her West End debut in the live children’s science show The Ministry of Science in 2023 after touring internationally. Her stage credits also include UK tours of Power Games, Rodin Reflections at London’s Sadler’s Wells and Mobile for The Paper Birds. Her screen credits also include Summer Fun, Move and Shake with Olivia! and Festive Fun on Channel 5.
Jon Monie stars as Muddles and has also written the script for this year’s show. Marking his 22nd pantomime at the Theatre Royal, Jon returns by popular demand after starring in a record number of Bath panto performances – numbering more than 1,200 since 1996 – and continues to delight audiences whenever he appears on stage. An award-winning writer, actor, presenter and comedian, Jon has written pantomimes which are staged by UK Productions in theatres nationwide. His panto Beauty and the Beast, which played Bath in 2019, won Best Script at The Great British Pantomime Awards. This year, Jon starred as Joseph Grimaldi in the world premiere of Slapstick! staged at The Old Theatre Royal in Bath’s Orchard Street. His television credits include appearances in Bridgerton for Netflix, The Nevers for HBO/Sky, Moominvalley for Sky, and BBC’s Showtrial and The Outlaws. Jon is also a member of improvisational comedy group Instant Wit, who he performs with regularly.
Nick Wilton stars as Dame Dilly Donut. Nick has played the iconic pantomime role of Dame in theatres nationwide for 25 years. He makes a welcome return to Bath after previously entertaining audiences at the Theatre Royal as Dame Nanny Nora in Sleeping Beauty in 2023, Widow Twankey in Aladdin in 2022, Polly La Plonk in Beauty and the Beast in 2019, Nursie in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 2017, Widow Twankey in Aladdin in 2016 and Dame Trott in Jack and the Beanstalk in 2015. On television, Nick is best known as Market Inspector Mr Lister in EastEnders, a role he has played as a series regular since 2008. His screen credits also include Doc Martin, Heartbeat, The Bill, Casualty, Carrott’s Lib, and the children’s shows Big Meg, Little Meg and Jackanory.
George Olney stars as Prince Frederick. His stage credits include the UK tours of Top Hat, Saturday Night Fever and Grease; Starlight Express in Germany; A Chorus of Disapproval at Salisbury Playhouse and, most recently, the 2024 UK tour of Chicago. George’s previous panto credits include Hugo in Beauty and the Beast at the Sunderland Empire, Dandini in Cinderella at the Floral Pavilion, the Prince in Cinderella at Salisbury Playhouse, and the title role in Aladdin at Newbury’s Corn Exchange. His West End credits include Mamma Mia! and Fiddler On The Roof. Earlier this year, George appeared in Sean Mathias’s 2024 film Hamlet which starred Sir Ian McKellen in the title role.
The role of Queen Grimelda is played by Emma Norman, who returns to the Theatre Royal after delighting Bath audiences as the evil Carabosse in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty last year. Emma started her career as a Production Vocalist at Manchester’s Granada Studios, before performing as a touring session/backing vocalist for 25 years. She returned to the stage to make her West End debut as Evleen in The Pirate Queen at London Coliseum. Her stage credits also include the world premiere of Making A Murderer: The Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe, Doctor Zhivago at the London Palladium, and the UK and international tours of Whitney: Queen Of The Night and Tina: What’s Love Got To Do With It.
Snow White’s friends and protectors the Seven Dwarfs are played by George Appleby as Whiffy, Denise Coppen as Disney, Willie Coppen as Stroppy, Kieran DuMont as Prof, Harrison Taylor as Cheeky, Ana Texido Martinez as Snotty and Brian Wheeler as Dozy.
The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Ensemble are Issie Davis, Kyra Lea, James Lowrie, Elizabeth Lundy and Liam Wetherell, and this year’s pantomime will once again feature young dancers from Bath’s Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is directed by Paul Milton, with choreography by Harry Lydon and musical direction by Joshua Newport. Following last year’s acclaimed production of Sleeping Beauty, Martin Dodd’s UK Productions return to Bath this Christmas to present their 27th pantomime at the Theatre Royal.
Photo credit: Friea Turland
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 12th December to Sunday 12th January. Tickets are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at theatreroyal.org.uk
This listing appears on our front page until 11:55pm on Sunday January 12th, 2025
