Working on the adage that if ain’t broke, don’t fix it, Mansfield has pulled out the stops for another cracker of a show.

This production is as traditional as plum pudding but with a few surprise and choice morsels among the padding.

Su Pollard proves to be a Hi-de-Hi! light, combining the evil-minded Wicked Queen with a lust-filled figure-of-fun, thus removing the fear factor so often prevalent in panto villains which can scare tiny kids.

There are a couple of new names for the dwarfs but the seven little fellas are somewhat underused in this production and aren’t given the chance to let their different characters shine through. More scenes like the break-dancing dwarf would make a good panto even better.

The singing is as good as I’ve ever heard at the Palace, particularly from Simon Leigh as the Prince, Hollie Taylor as Snow White and Mark James as the loveable comedian Muddles.

The story itself treads the same tried and tested path and there’s little in the way of special effects.

But references to Ant and Dec, Catherine Tate’s ‘bovvered’ catchphrase and I’m A Celebrity bring it bang up to date, striking a chord with the telly-addicted kids.

The Stage
December 2006