Snow White, De Montfort Hall Leicester Review
Written by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
As family audiences took to their seats at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, children were laughing, crisp packets were rustling and adults were merry, as everyone was eagerly awaiting this year’s pantomime Snow White. Let the magic begin!
The show opens with Snow White’s rendition of ‘Walking on Sunshine.’ Although this performance was a crowd-pleaser and full of energy, this opening song didn’t quite hit the spot for me, but I was willing to see how the rest of the production would play out.
Taking to the stage to save the day was everyone’s favourite Kiwi comedian, Jarred Christmas, in the role of Muddles, the quick-witted court jester of De Montfort Castle. With his razor-sharp humour and off-the-cuff jokes, Jarred’s performance stood out as a beacon of light amid the gloomy depths of De Montfort Forest. Equally captivating was Divina De Campo, of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame and this year starred in the UK tour of Spongebob Squarepants the Musical, delivered a chillingly authentic performance as the Evil Queen, Queen Morgiana. With a spine-tingling evil laugh and a commanding presence, Divina and Jarred together carried the show with their undeniable talent and charisma.
The lack of scenery and props also sent shivers down my spine. The actors spent a lot of time in front of various different painted curtains. Long periods between different scene changes meant that the flow of the pantomime didn’t remain as fluid as you’d expect. It would have been extra magical to see a fully built cottage in the forest with the interior and props providing some extra sparkle to the show.
“Mirror Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” Leicester local and now a household name when it comes to the De Montfort Hall panto, Sam Bailey portrays the Spirit of the Mirror. There are some brilliant musical numbers throughout the production which modernise the traditional tale for today’s theatregoers. ‘I’ve Put a Spell on You’ and ‘Enough is Enough’ were particular stand out singing performances. Sam Bailey’s duet with Divina De Campo was superb, and Sam in particular was able to show her stunning vocal range.
Many local Leicester references are referred to in this show, from the ‘posh’ end of Leicestershire, Ashby-de-la-Zouch as well as the infamous ‘Loogabarooga; otherwise known as Loughborough! I did feel that there were lots of jokes to keep the adult members of the audience entertained, however, it didn’t feel like there were enough jokes aimed at the children.
Jack Ballard, who played the dame Nurse Nora, sang his solo song ‘Nora’s Naughty Nibbles’ really well, however, his performance throughout the show was not memorable enough for me as a pantomime dame.
Due to a family emergency, the previously announced Prince Laurence was supposed to be played by Cbeebies favourite Gysai Sheppy, but choreographer and understudy Stuart Rogers took centre stage at short notice. His performance was impeccable considering he had minimal time to rehearse. The role of Prince Laurence will be taken over by Blue’s Anthony Costa from Tuesday 17th December.
Honourable mentions are deserved for the puppeteers who provided Snow White with her loyal group of friends. They were talented in what they did, however, we as adults found the puppets to be quite scary at times.
The much-needed inventive and local version of the 12 Days of Christmas provided the audience with the chance to participate in the second act and this was one of the highlights of the show for us.
All in all, both the audience and the characters take away important lessons as good ultimately triumphs over evil. However, with so many pantomimes on offer audiences are being more specific about what delivers real value for their money. Unfortunately, this particular pantomime for me may leave many feeling it falls short of that expectation.
If you are looking for a local Leicestershire pantomime with some big names and great music then Snow White continues to play at Leicester’s De Montfort Hall until Sunday 5th January 2025.
★ ★ ★
