King’s Head Theatre 3 December – 9 January. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
Charles Court Operas boutique panto is a fantastic festive treat.
John Savournin and David Eaton have created a magnificently madcap sideways take on Snow White. Snow White (widow of soul legend Barry White) is the live in housekeeper for seven dwarves, who cannot be named for legal reasons. John Savournin is an old hand at panto dames, and his Snow is a hoot. From her insane headgear (don’t laugh, she’ll give you evil looks) to her boat sized red shoes, Snow is one classy lady. Savournin’s facial expressions and banter with the audience are wonderfully arch, and when that fantastic bass-baritone voice lets rip it is much more entertaining than Disney’s weedy soprano version. The dwarves are all played by Matthew Kellett – working up a sweat making multiple quick entrances and trying out every comedy accent known to man.
The wicked queen (Andrea Tweedale) is gleefully evil, with some familiar megalomaniacal plans –
a bridge over the river carpeted with grass and flowers – and is raising taxes to fund them. Tweedale milks every last boo and hiss out of the audience and gets more and more unhinged as the show progresses.
The handsome prince, Larry Black (Amy J Payne) has a codpiece Blackadder would kill for, and his sweet-toothed valet Harry (Nichola Jolley) encourages him to woo the queen. But Larry meets Snow and falls head over heels for her. The jealous queen’s revenge attempts are worthy of Wile E. Coyote, and result in a magical transformation, a dead dwarf and someone needing to be saved by true love’s kiss. I never thought I’d see a funeral in a panto, but this one had an Elton John look-alike dwarf launching into a surreal version of “Candle in the wind”, so it wasn’t all doom and gloom.
The music is what makes this panto so special – an eclectic mix of songs are given a new twist and sung impeccably by the cast. The harmonies are clever and pitch perfect, and the audience sing-along is a Spice Girls classic. What more could you want?
The jokes were corny, the acting was brilliantly over the top (Payne and Jolley’s eyebrows were especially hyperactive) and the audience had a ball.
With child friendly and adult only performances scheduled, Mirror Mirror is a classy, camp delight. THIS is the panto you should see this year.