‘Panto at Easter?’ exclaimed my friend this week, when I said I was off to see Snow White, but they would be surprised… The British Pantomime, which evolved from Renaissance Commedia dell’Arte, was originally an all-year-round entertainment, and Easter Panto first appeared at Covent Garden in 1820, but it is David Garrick who we have to thank for it becoming a Christmas tradition. He disliked the form so much that his only concession at his theatre was to programme it once a year, over Christmas, and 100 years on we now think of it as much a part of Christmas as a tree and mulled wine.
St Helens Theatre Royal are among those theatres who know how much their family audiences love a panto, and their Easter show (along with those at other school holidays) has become a firm favourite. Regal Entertainments (who produce all of these St Helens’ shows) really know how to put on a piece of theatre that three or four generations of a family can, and do, come to enjoy together.
This is a re-staging of the Snow White which appeared here at Christmas 2024, and it is slightly shorter but every bit as sparkly. The cast has been really well put together, and rather than aiming for TV celebrities in key roles, the producers have focused on finding actors with great singing voices and stagecraft. Chantelle Morgan is becoming quite a regular here, and is reprising the part of Snow White, which she is a perfect fit for. Alongside her are more familiar faces, beginning with the ever popular Lewis Devine, who has a fine part written for him in muddles (by original scriptwriter Liam Mellor) and who seems to be the glue that holds the entire cast together. This is a show in which Devine really shines. Richard Aucott is back as the Dame, and he always delights with his gloriously traditional rendering of this central panto trope. He will no doubt be glad that Everton decided not to demolish Goodison Park, as he can continue to get more wear out of the ‘frock of two halves’ he sports among his extensive wardrobe.
Shania Pain is also turning into a regular player here, and is in absolutely cracking form as the Wicked Queen. New to this company but no stranger to panto is Luke Beatens, who makes a fine Prince (Prince Philip of Fingerpost to be specific) and he matches the rest of the cast vocally, while cutting a dashing figure on stage.
Tim Lucas makes a ‘virtual’ appearance via the magic mirror, and it is worth noting that his pre-recorded sequences are really seamlessly synchronised into the live action, even incorporating some scripted ‘delays’ for comedy value.
The production brings back the puppet dwarfs employed at Christmas 2024. I thought at that time that they might work better if the puppeteers were dressed in a neutral colour rather than the primary coloured body suits they are wearing, and I remain of the same opinion. The bright colour of their ‘camouflage’ only serves to make them more visible, and it is difficult to mentally ‘tune them out’ as is possible with onstage puppeteers who are dressed to blend them out of our focus. That said, instead of having the dwarfs voiced by celebrities as they were last time, their words are delivered by a voice cast that actually flows better and fits in well with the live actors’ script.
The show has strong energy and rattles along well, albeit that the first act feels a little over-padded in a couple of places, while Act II is remarkably short. For me, perhaps, the long patter song in Act I could be trimmed a little, and the waking up of Snow White could have used that extra time to give it more weight and make it feel more central to the storytelling.
Snow White might sound like a Christmas show but, given that we are more likely to have snow at Easter than at Christmas in the UK, it works really well, and this welcome revival of the show feels like a perfect fit for Easter. If you’re looking for a family night out during the school holidays you need look no further than St Helens Theatre Royal.
Star Rating 4 stars
Review by Nigel Smith
