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Review

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pavilion, Bournemouth.

AFTER weeks of storms and continual rain, this pantomime was just the tonic to lift the spirits. When Su Pollard as the Wicked Queen appeared in all her sparkling glory, the near-capacity audience rose to respond to her evil intentions. From then on, with the aid of Chris Jarvis as Muddles ably assisted by Michael Chance as Ramsbottom, these three were responsible for the vociferous response from the audience. Rebecca Marks is the quintessential Snow White and with the warmth of her smile alone was bound to attract the very good-looking Prince (Jonathan Parkin).

The lavish sets, despite a small technical hiccup on the night I attended, ensured that every child in the audience was drawn into the magic of this perennial story. The pace never flagged at any time and with the help of Snow White’s little friends, interestingly with different names from usual, among them Moany and Silly, and not forgetting the Village Children from The Stage Door School of Dance and Drama, there was action aplenty. The familiar Whistle While You Work and Some Day my Prince Will Come guarantee that the Mums and Dads will cast a nostalgic thought back to that classic Disney film, whilst the children will recognise the more recent Let Me Entertain You and Thriller.

All in all, this is a show that has all the ingredients of a traditional pantomime to ensure that, in the words of the director, ‘it will add even more sparkle to your Christmas’.  

Linda Kirkman

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