'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Review
Venue: New Victoria Theatre
Dates: 04 Dec 2021 - 02 Jan 2022
Tickets: From £13
OUR VERDICT:
Snow White is a fan favourite of pantomime lovers. Starring an evil stepmother, a magical mirror and true love’s kiss, it’s a plot ripe for parody.
At the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, you can expect all of this and more in Michael Gyngeli’s sixteenth pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
From the outset, the glittery costumes, lights and visual effects are spectacular, with Gok Wan (The Man in the Mirror) and Harriet Thorpe (Queen Lucretia) looking particularly dazzling, in costumes dripping with diamanté.
The stage sets were in the traditional cartoonish style, but the dwarfs’ house demonstrated a real attention to detail, with beds and accessories fit for a house of seven.
The comedy of the pantomime is incorporated through three main performers: Gok Wan, Harriet Thorpe and Aaron James (Muddles). Wan serves to keep the mood light, dropping double-entendres into every scene, when he isn’t offering a dramatic countdown of the top fairest in the land.
Harriet Thorpe is commanding as Queen Lucretia, with a cackling laugh that elicits boos from the audience, and a very strong singing voice. Her transformation into the old hag that gives Snow White the poisoned apple also inspires gasps from the younger members of the audience.
Of course, it isn’t a proper pantomime without a ‘he’s behind you!’ scene, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs didn’t disappoint. In fact, I’ve never seen a group of children more determined in their calls, or more exasperated when their cries aren’t heard.
Aaron James is responsible for much of the MC’ing, with a number of skits directly addressed to the audience. Whilst his A-Z of impressions receives a mixed responses from the audience, it is his scenes with Gok Wan and Benjamin Purkiss (Prince Harry of Horsham) that gather the most applause, particularly his creation of a narrative from song lyrics. Occasionally the sketches threaten to go on for a little too long, with a testing tongue-twister on the cusp of being overdone in a scene with Wan, Thorpe and James.
The ensemble dancing merits particular mention, with the dancers becoming courtiers, snake-like beings and wedding guests at the change of a costume, offering well-choreographed and rehearsed synchronised routines.
I only regret that Rebekah Lowings (Snow White) and Purkiss are not given more of a comic role. Whilst being central to the plot, our enjoyment of the show stems more from our hatred of the pantomime villain than a love of our heroes.
Nevertheless, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a satisfying and festive way to spend the evening in the lead-up to Christmas, and the audience demonstrated that the pantomime really is suitable for fairy-tale fans of every age.
On now until 02 Jan 2022. Ages 6+. Tickets from £13 (subject to a transaction fee of £3.65).
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/snow-white/new-victoria-theatre/
