We loved every minute of it!
Greenwich Theatre panto is way up there along with the very best, but there is no doubt in my mind that Anthony Spargo is the bestest baddie in town at this special time of the year. Not only good at being bad but he has also written this year’s panto – Snow White – which is a very special version, writes Michael Holland.
Before the curtain went up, myself, Haydn and Nancy eagerly looked through the programme to see who’s who. It’s always nice to see a familiar face like Martin Johnston (The Huntsman) returning, and to catch up on the young stars of the future getting their first professional break; this year it is Bekah Thompson-Phiri and Jessica Murphy, both 2nd Year students at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance who will learn much from working with the experienced performers.
But then, seeing the eight cast photos and biographies telling us who is Prince Charming, Snow White and (Deearna McClean) Magic Mirror, etc., we instantly wondered who would be playing the iconic Seven Dwarves. We would have to wait and see…
The show opens with Snow White (Katie Tonkinson) with her broom and looking fed up. She is the despised stepdaughter of Queen Narcissus (Spargo), who makes her scrub and clean the Ice Palace all day, every day, with a special clean today as Prince Charming of Charmington (Tom Bales) is visiting in his quest throughout the realm to find a wife.
The prince’s first meeting with the Queen leaves him horrified but his equilibrium is restored when his tainted eyes fall upon the beautiful Snow White. The dark lining on that fluffy white cloud is that t. She promptly puts out a contract on the poor girl and dispatches the Huntsman to do the deed.
Alas, despite his job title he is far too kindly to cut out the heart of Snow White to take back as evidence of her demise. He returns to the Ice Palace with an animal’s heart but the All-Knowing Magic Mirror tells the Queen Snow White is alive while the Huntsman is locked into a ball and chain for life, which in itself becomes a prop for comedy.
Now is the moment we have all been waiting for, when Snow White comes across the cottage in the forest where the Seven Dwarves live. And there they all are: Grumpy, Cheeky, Brainy, Windy, Dave, Snoozy and Cockney – a proper geezer! All in fine voice and all ready to help their new lodger in her battle with the evil Queen.
The whole caper is dotted with great songs that fit the narrative, with Muddles (Louise Cielecki) having the best of the old but gold jokes, and all the pieces needed for a panto jigsaw slotting nicely into place to create a very satisfying whole: we were practising our call and response lines in the first few minutes; we booed all the right people and clapped along to anything with a beat. We even sung a song that warned people not to eat the yellow snow! We were suckers for it and loved every minute of Greenwich Theatre’s Snow White.
We loved the lushness of it, and cheered when the Magic Mirror turned into a human Disco Ball, we adored the Seven Dwarves, we screamed to give Muddles cuddles and oohed and ached as Snow White and Prince Charming became increasingly closer together. And, of course, we were more than pleased to hear Uncle Steve and his band were back once again.
If I had to be finicky it would be to gripe about the lack of the Baddie’s stage time. Because the Baddie wrote this panto, and because Anthony Spargo is such a generous actor, he gave more to his fellow cast colleagues to do, saving only the best dresses and wigs for himself. Oh, yes he did…
This is a Greenwich tradition that deserves to kept up for as long as the theatre stands.
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, SE10 until 7th January 2024. Times: Varied – see website. Admission: £16.50 – £34.
Booking: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
