Last year's pantomime at Royal & Derngate was exceptionally successful. Sharp, funny and entertaining for all ages, so, it makes a lot of sense for the theatre to mine from that success once again. So, while this year Jack and his beanstalk are exchanged for
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, you could be forgiven for thinking at times you are watching the same show as this treads the same format throughout. It doesn't matter one jot though; this year it still feels fresh and actually stronger in many ways. Produced once again this year by Evolution Productions, co-founder Paul Hendy has again written a fine script to make a superbly entertaining pantomime, with an exceptionally strong cast. Alongside his wife, Emily Wood, also co-founder of Evolution, and here in the directing chair, this is stunning entertainment.
Leading the cast as the eponymous princess Snow White is the captivating Lauren Lane, and she is a delight in the role. She has a lovely singing voice and charms, almost, all, including her diminutive helpers. It is only the evil Wicked Queen in fact who hates her. In that role, screen and theatre regular Wendi Peters chews the scenery as the show's only true baddie. She has several musical numbers, including some great rock moments, which she, perhaps surprisingly, excels in.
Prince Charming is in the extremely confident and assured hands of the constantly improving Ore Oduba. For many familiar with him on screen, for presenting roles, it might not be obvious how exceptionally good he is on stage (he was exceptional in a recent Rocky Horror Show tour for example), and here, he shows superb skill for panto as well.
Someone very familiar with panto, and indeed, for audiences who saw last year's Royal & Derngate show, is Bob Golding. Last year he was exceptional, this year he is the same, in fact, sometimes, exactly the same. He is a superb performer in the role of dame, and this year he is under the guise of Nurse Nellie. Golding, in a multitude of ridiculous costumes (excellently created by Michael J Batchelor and Jonathon Arthurs), has exceptional comic timing, great working of the crowd, and is brilliant at interacting with his audience "victim" for this performance, Dave. Quite brilliant, and great to have him back again.
Joey Wilby is the perfect cheeky chappy in the role of Muddles, and everyone, eventually, is happy to be in his gang. The dwarfs of the title provide some nice entertainment, with Kain Francis as Loopy, and Paddy Holden as Groover, the pick of them. Not present, but in some entertaining pre-recorded sequences as the face of the Magic Mirror, is local celebrity Alan Carr. These sequences work extremely well considering their pre-recorded nature, and it is a nice touch that his appearance is in aid of Neuroblastoma UK. Finally of mention from the cast is the highly entertaining Marc Pickering as Herman the Henchman, managing to get the audience laughing often with just a look.
Hendy has created a great show, with a mixture of excellent scenes, and superb use of music, predominantly from the eighties, which culminates in an incredibly entertaining mix at the end when Herman's dream, inevitably comes true. What that dream is, I will let you find out. Once again, also like last year, this show relies not on vulgar jokes shoehorned in to entertain the grown-ups, which sadly has become more the norm in the world of panto. Here this is good, virtually clean entertainment, which still totally entertains whatever the age.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is truly fabulous entertainment. Everything you could want of a pantomime. If you only see one panto this year, you will not go wrong with choosing this year's Royal & Derngate feast of fun.
Exceptionally entertaining and a thrill from start to finish.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance reviewed: Sunday 10th December 2023 at the Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton.
Snow White runs at Royal & Derngate until Sunday 31st December 2023.
For further details about the Royal & Derngate and to book tickets see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk
Production photos: Pamela Raith
