Review: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, King's Theatre, Glasgow, December 10 2015
Selecting a panto in Glasgow this year is a bit more difficult than you might think. There's the flashy one with the big name stars and astronomical ticket prices. There's the tacky and crude one that you probably don't want to take the children or your granny to. There are also many excellent productions in small or independent theatres that are sometimes overlooked. Amoungst all of these, I would probably label the King's Theatre production as the "classic" panto in Glasgow.
This year's production is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The classic story is littered with local gags and put downs, injected with recent pop hits and best of all- covered in glitter. Audience participation is pretty much enforced and it is hilarious to hear several hundred children screeching their warnings at Snow White- "HE'S TRYING TO KILL YOU".
The comedy in Snow White is excellent but that's all down to Des Clarke as Muddles. While the hype mostly surrounds Gregor Fisher's highly anticipated return to panto, it was Clarke who really stole the show for me. The character Muddles is well written but it is his moments of ad-lib that really had me in stitches. Fisher was brilliant as the Queen's bumbling henchman and I suspect this year's panto won't be a one-off for him!
Normally I find the princess roles in pantomimes painfully dull and forgettable but not this time thanks to Jenny Hayley-Douglas! With excellent comedic timing and stunning musical performances she was a definite highlight of the show. Credit also has to go to Juliet Cadzow who provides a delightfully evil panto villain and has fantastic stage presence.
There are numerous pop culture references but I found the Susan Boyle parody was a little awkward seeing as she was seated in the row in front of me! Thankfully, she seemed to be laughing harder than anyone!
While there really are so many pantomimes to choose from in Glasgow I would urge anyone who is looking for quality and classic entertainment for the whole family to check out Snow White at the King's.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs at the King's Theatre until January 10th.
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