Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Kings Theatre, Glasgow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Slick, silly and occasionally just a little bit saucy, Glasgow Kings’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a fast-paced, laughs all the way celebration of all things ‘Glaswegia’, even Elaine C Smith’s warmly maternal Dame borrows her name from a well Kent Weegie drag queen to become Nurse Bella Houston.
It’s also a production that understands there’s more at the heart of any great panto than just laughter, consequently there are some beautifully sentimental moments, some sharp social commentary and more than a few nods to the world around us.
This year, after a prologue from the Man In The Mirror that gets much of the story out of the way while making room for an entertaining array of routines, wordplays and musical numbers, the show opens with I’m Going Tae Take Ye Tae Glaswegia, to the tune of YMCA, led by River City actor Darren Brownlie’s somewhat perfunctory Man In The Mirror, Manny to his friends.
Keeping the energy high, Johnny Mac is next on the bill to appear and in doing so, effortlessly ramps up the comedy and audience interaction - back as Muddles, this year, it’s easy to see he’s enjoying himself. Mac’s chemistry with resident dame Elaine C Smith, who arrives via air ambulance, is sublime. Over time they have evolved into a panto dream team, and as a double-act they’re quite peerless on the Scottish circuit.
Smith’s big entrance, a nicely pointed musical tribute to the NHS doesn’t miss its mark. Neither does a no holds barred ‘Lover’s Wall’ routine that is eye-wateringly funny and a phenomenal piece of physical comedy from Mac, Blythe Jandoo as Snow White and Christopher Jordan-Marshall as the dashing Prince Calum of Cowcaddens.
Both Jandoo and Jordan-Marshall are revelations, crafting wholesome characters from lightly drawn roles - the latter’s rendition of Gerry Cinnamon’s Belter at the top of Act II brings the house down.
The Lover’s Wall isn’t the only ‘old panto routine’ that has been deconstructed and reinvented for this production. What Smith, Mac and Co. do with The Manhattan Transfer favourite, Chanson d’Amour, is genius while a new take on the ever popular ‘What Fur?’ wordplay makes it funnier than ever.
With much of the story dispensed of early on, it’s a while before the Magnificent Seven and their Air B&B, hidden deep in the forest, make an appearance, they don’t disappoint - watch out for Doctor Who star Jimmy Vee as Snoozy, who surely has the easiest shift ever this pantomime season.
Neither does Liz Ewing as Queen Cranachan disappoint. Hers is a wonderfully potty panto baddie, dastardly and daft in equal measures as she plots to once more become ‘the fairest in the land’.
While the poison apple she relies on to rid her of her beautiful step-daughter may be blood red, this Sleeping Beauty is a production unafraid to show its green credentials; built into the well-loved fairytale we have dwarfs with a dream of building a wind farm and a Muddles who embarks on a spectacular return from the forest courtesy of a solar powered jet pack.
Featuring everything from Storm Troopers to Barbie and Ken, Lady Gaga to an unexpectedly moving rendition of The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles, director Kathryn Rooney never lets the pace falter while knowing exactly when to take a moment to tug at the heartstrings as the action powers towards the moment where traditionally, Prince Calum would save Snow White with true love’s kiss… cue another twist, albeit one that perhaps worked better as a concept than it does in execution.
A finely crafted tweak to the Songsheet at the end, one of the best for many a year, confirms Mac’s reign as the King of bringing down the cloot and has the audience in hysterics while a final singalong has them on their feet, and rightly so, this Snow White is a panto that tickles the funny-bone from start to finish. Don’t miss it.
Runs until 7 January Tickets here
