Culture Writer Simran Thumber reviews Snow White: The Musical finding it to be a delightful performance perfect for the festive season
The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre celebrates its 129th anniversary of pantomime this year by showcasing the wonderful world of Snow White:The Musical! The audience follows the fairest Snow White as she longs to find freedom, true love, and take her rightful place as the Queen of Wulfruna. The only thing in her way is her wicked stepmother Queen Dragonella who will do anything to keep her throne. With the help of Muddles, Nanny Nolly, Elementa (the good fairy), and the audience (this is a pantomime after all), we see Snow White go on an exciting adventure as she tries to release herself from the evil clasps of Dragonella and be with her handsome Prince.
The Grand Theatre promised that this would be ‘a festive spectacular for all ages’
and it did not disappoint! The production had indeed outdone itself, with a wonderful cast, enigmatic melodies and vibrant costume/ set design. It gives you the festive feeling that you long for at this time of year!
Owing to Wolverhampton’s rich history of pantomimes in all of the Midlands, Snow White was exclusively produced to be shown at the Grand Theatre. This festive celebration was made complete by mentioning local references that make the Black Country unlike any other. A group of ‘Peaky Miners’ with wonderfully distinct personalities are introduced to the audience to shed light on the importance of the Black Country Living Museum and its relation to the famous TV show Peaky Blinders.
From the moment he came on the stage, you just knew that Tam Ryan was going to steal the show! He played the role of Muddles with absolute perfection that his flawless interactions lit up the audience with wide smiles. It truly was a delight to see him alongside Ian Adams, who played the role of Nanny Nolly. Their father-son dynamic delivered humour and complementing jokes quite remarkably. It was truly a pleasure to watch them together on the stage as you had no idea what the mischievous pair were up to next.
This pantomime was filled with some amazing songs that the audience could sing along with. Opening the show with ‘All she wants for Christmas is you’, CBeebies presenter Evie Pickerill showed the audience her magnificent vocal range and began the performance with a festive celebration alongside the wonderful Ensemble. They truly enhanced every performance through their singing, dancing, and even ice skating! The show would not have been the same without them – they were a delight to watch. There is no denying the wonderful voice of X-Factor’s Niki Colwell Evans who played Queen Dragonella. Her Diamond Number at the end of Act one as well as ‘I Put a Spell on You’ in the second act were two moments that stuck out for me personally.
There must be a special mention for David Shields who did an exceptional job of designing the costumes and sets for this production. The costumes were vibrant, eye-catching, and complimented the set designs perfectly. The costumes of Ian Adams were something that the audience took pleasure in seeing as he wore wild and ostentatious dresses. The finale costumes worn by the cast have to be my favourite as they all matched wearing dazzling gold and lilac. Visually it was a wonderful way to end the show.
Snow White is an a must see festive treat for all, and because of that I give it five stars!
See Snow White: The Musical at The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 7th December to 7th January!
Rating: 5/5
Enjoyed this? Read more from Redbrick Culture here:
Comments