Every Christmas, my grandparents would take the children of our family to see a pantomime. We would sit in squeaky theatre chairs with our little legs kicking, shouting to the characters, giggling at the dames, and eating ice cream at the interval. Alas, as school and life and university and jobs crept in, Christmas became a much busier time of year. I was ready to accept that I had left it behind me. Truthfully, I couldn’t help but wonder if the panto traditions of toilet humour, enforced audience participation and nylon wigs were perhaps best left behind anyway.
However, when you are offered a press ticket to see Snow White at the Macrobert Arts Centre, how can one possibly refuse the chance to see if that childhood magic is still there?
This year’s offering was a mashup of Snow White and the Sound of Music, courtesy of writer Johnny McKnight and artistic director Julie Ellen. From the moment the audience clapped along to a techno version of Jingle Bells, until the cast belted out the last note of ‘All I Want for Christmas is You’ during the final bows, one thing was for certain. I was completely, utterly charmed.
The cast was absolutely fantastic. Tinashe Warikandwa’s Snow White was feisty, confident and brilliant, who played off Tiger Mitchell’s adorable himbo Prince Rupert incredibly well. Helen McAlpine offers infectious cheerful comic relief as Snow White’s sister Swanky de Wharff. Kara Swinney’s housekeeper Felicia Fennington-Farrington the Fourth hilariously (and adorably) pined after Swanky, rushing off stage to change into her other character (Mother Thinks-She’s-Superior) and keeping the audiences in stitches. Our evil stepmother Baroness Fantasia was simply fabulous. A fantastic ensemble cast of local youngsters keep the whole play moving along at an excellent pace, although admittedly it would have been nice if they were given more to do.
The show also had some surprisingly modern twists that were a far cry from the pantos of my childhood. The ensemble introduced the prince to the crowd with a cry of ‘guy, gals, and non-binary pals.’ Our pantomime dame, Chris Forbes’ Sister Maria Shut-Yon-Trapp is practically decked in couture at some points, not to mention a comedy powerhouse who had the audience rolling on the floor. The show is littered with nods to drag culture, and I am absolutely certain that my childhood pantomimes never had a final battle that involved voguing, Madonna and synchronised fan clacks. It was a nice way to bring pantomime into the 21st century that I personally found incredibly comforting.
Admittedly, there were some moments where the show didn’t have quite hit the mark. The cast encouraging the crowd to defeat the evil stepmother by imitating the sound of an early 2000s mobile phone felt a little underwhelming. A prank involving the audience chanting about a magic mat while cast members poured food on each other may have done better on the cutting room floor. However, I was having so much fun that these small discrepancies did not spoil my mood. I don’t think I stopped grinning the entire evening.I am happy to confirm that, at least this time, the magic of pantomime may be a little faded, but is still very much alive. Snow White at the MacRobert Arts Centre is worth your evening.
Featured image credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan, Broadway World