PANTOMIME is all about familiarity – familiar stories, familiar routines, familiar songs, familiar faces … and Bath Theatre Royal has it in spades, plus the most beautiful theatre in the country.
For many years, the theatre had one of panto’s great double acts – the much-missed Dame and writer, Chris Harris and his knockabout sidekick, Jon Monie. Since Chris’s death, Jon has become Bath’s writer and his seasonal shows are now being performed all over the country.
He has established a great on-stage relationship with Nick Wilton as Dame, and with the addition of Emma Norman, this year making a welcome return as the evil Queen, we have a trio of star panto performers at the top of their game, earning lots of laughs, boos and hisses from the excited audience.
This year’s offering is one of his best yet – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs gets a 2024 refresh, with a spirited Snow White (multi-talented Olivia Birchenough), a clumsy but endearing Prince (George Olney) – these two have a real stage chemistry which is lovely to see – and a team of dwarfs who are given a lot more to do than the usual Heigh Ho and … routine.
These dwarfs are not only a key ingredient of the familiar tale, they are feisty, fearless, faithful and forthright (and no, that’s their characteristics not their names) – although one is called Stroppy (Willie Coppen)!
Cheeky (Harrison Taylor) gets to be the busy third singer in a new and hilarious Twelve Days of Christmas routine, Whiffy (George Appleby) is the brave dwarf who helps Dame Dilly Donut (Nick Wilton) and her well-named son Muddles (Jon Monie) in their attempt to destroy the mirror that tells the Queen (Emma Norman) that she is the most beautiful woman in the world … until she isn’t.
Prof (Kieran DuMont) is the leader of the mini miners, Denise Coppin is Disney, Ana Texido Martinez is Snotty and Brian Wheeler is poor Dozy, always getting left behind.
As well as new routines and new jokes – the poor Prince must have a very sore head at the end of the show – there are old favourites, including the ghost scene. The audience knows this one well and the hundreds of youngsters were on the case immediately, shouting ‘It’s Behind You!”
There are some good sound effects in the scene at the well in the forest, and some very funny asides and one-liners, not only from Jon Monie but from most of this experienced cast. They all know how to play pantomime, and it’s a noisy, colourful delight.
And congratulations to Jon, not only for his funny script and his comical and charming performance, but for the speed and ease with which he handles the all-too-often overlong audience song sequence. We know it’s necessary for the set change and for everyone to get in their wedding costumes, but it can drag on if there are too many reprises of the silly song.
This is a colourful show with something for everyone – a real antidote to the raw cold of December and the grim news around the world. We all need a bit of pantomime magic and Bath Theatre Royal delivers it with bucketfuls of sparkle and laughter.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs at Bath until 12th January 2025.
Photographs by Freia Turland