Review: SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS, Anton Benson Productions (Online)

Pantomime was sorely missed over the Christmas period and whilst some were able to move online, others had to either postpone their planned productions to the 2021/22 season or cancel altogether. Fortunately Anton Benson Productions have been able to create an Easter pantomime, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their own homes this half term.

With a star-studded cast including Strictly Come Dancing’s Joanne Clifton, Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall and national treasure Basil Brush, the 85-minute show is packed full of family-friendly material, of course with the occasional innuendo designed to go over the little ones’ heads!

Anton Benson and Ryan Greaves’ pantomime has been slightly condensed but pieced together well in order to keep a strong story thread. The script is witty and has plenty of modern topical references (notably Covid), along with crowd-pleasing gags such as the slick chocolate bar routine.

With the expected lack of audience, pre-recorded crowd reactions are used throughout, which fills an otherwise awkward gap but they can occasionally feel a little forced. It is a given that pantomime thrives off of audience response so the team have made the best of a bad situation in this instance. 

We are treated to a live band, musically directed by Ashley M A Walsh, who are great whether accompanying the vocalists or providing incidental music. It sometimes feels like the vocals and music are not working harmoniously together, with slight timing issues. This could be due to onstage monitors, perhaps not enabling the performers to hear the musicians well enough. This is not a constant throughout the show, however.

The sets and costumes from UK Productions are captured well on screen and visually it has every element that you would hope for in a traditional panto. Nicolas Field’s lighting takes us through varying states from pinks in the love duet to moody greens and purples during Queen Morgana’s appearances. The only thing lacking in certain scenes is the use of followspots as some states are quite dark. This said, the use of followspot during ‘My Way’ performed by Wally (Ryan Greaves) is very humorous.

Joanne Clifton, who has carved out a successful musical theatre career since leaving Strictly Come Dancing, plays a brilliant villain in Queen Morgana and gives a superb rendition of Eurovision track, ‘Rise Like A Phoenix’. She possesses good comic timing and performs an entertaining reflection routine with the sassy Richard Aucott as Dame Dolly, where she also gets the opportunity to show her Latin dance skills.

Jai McDowall, whilst underused, is a dashing Prince Charming and is known for his rich, silky vocals. He even gives another level to a Steps banger, ‘Something In Her Eyes’ – something that you would not expect to hear him sing! Basil Brush is a veteran comedian and is well-loved among children and adults alike so is perfect pantomime casting. He has natural flair, a warm presence and above all, is a seasoned professional. He makes the tongue twister segment seem like a walk in the park.

Georgie Jackson plays a very sweet Snow White, whilst Trixie the Pixie is performed energetically by Kate Salmon. We are even treated to an inspired cameo from Ru Paul’s Drag Race star, Divina De Campo, as the Magical Mirror.

An egg-cellent sweet treat for the whole family this Easter.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Jenny Ell

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is available to stream until 11 April here.