A play with a message, as is highlighted a number of times, this production of the well-known tale embodies everything a classic pantomime should: absurdity, mild raunchiness, plenty of audience interaction and a passing nod to a beloved tale known to all.
This particular production has a heavy influence from RuPaul's well-loved franchise, with many of the members having performed on a well-known drag competition and a style and delivery that will be comfortable to those familiar with the various competitive programmes within the empire.
This particular production, however, features mostly live vocals and very little lip-syncing, which is a bold choice that adds a lot to the performance. Some performers may well be more vocally adept than others but the show's casting and arrangement make good use of this and after all, it's a pantomime so what's a few flat notes between friends?
There are some unexpected deviations from the script, uncontrollable laughter both on and off the stage, and some forgetting of props. It's a wonderful mix of high-quality choreography, well-practised delivery and in-the-moment humour. It's polished, but not too polished, practised but not over-rehearsed and it's not hard to imagine that every show will be a little bit different. A one-time only experience in the best of ways.
It would, I think, be fair to say that the staging was minimalist. Making the most of what the Ember Theatre already has to offer and not really adding much beyond that. It would also be fair to say that while the costumes (supervised by River Smith) are as stunning as you would expect, the heavy use of carboard in the props is perhaps a little unambitious while certainly not detracting from the experience - more adding to the accessible feeling of an evening where the performers and audience are ‘in it together' and the fourth wall is nowhere to be seen.
Where there may arguably be a few small opportunities for enhancement to the set, these gaps are amply filled by Lilly Hart's lighting that set the various scenes very well and makes it easy to follow the setting and location changes we are presented.
The whole cast do an excellent job, and the direction (Christopher D. Clegg and Frazer Meakin) and production (Toby P. Darvill and Tom Kingdon) are well thought out and very effective. If I had to put some stand-out performances up for consideration, Tiana Biscuit's vocals are exceptional, Ophelia Love's performance as ‘Villager No.4' steals the stage on more than one occasion, and Kyran Thrax's Wicked Queen is so effective it goes beyond simply ‘baddie' into ‘baddie we secretly love'. I can't stress enough, though, that the quality of performance is very high throughout.
Kate Butch offers us the play's message of genderfluid inclusivity, and in this current climate where tensions are rising, and the genderfluid and trans community are frequently unfairly offered up scapegoat, it's a message that has never been more important to be heard.
The whole story is tied together by the comedic ‘weird chicken' – sorry - ‘Magical Winter Fairy' played by Kitty Scott Claus, who is our narrator, compere and almost MacGuffin expertly placed to bring all of the elements of the production together and add their own well-received elements of levity.
Okay, okay, it probably comes as little surprise when I say that this is not high art. It is, however, undeniably high-quality. A fun frolic of a fairytale that promises much and, in this humble writer's opinion, delivers it in droves.
Booking to 4 January 2026 at the Emerald Theatre.
Review: Damien Russell Photos: Harry Elletson