Review: Snow White, Hippodrome

Bristol audiences have a nice array of choices when it comes to getting their Christmas theatre fix. You want something imaginative and groundbreaking, that plays with the boundaries of theatre and rejoices in the power of storytelling (even maybe cocks a friendly snook at traditional panto staples?) Then head ye to Bristol Old Vic and Tobacco Factory Theatres, where imagination, wonder and invention, rather than big names and bigger effects, are the order of the day.

Or do you just want to get away from the whole festive schmaltz overload, and watch some gangsters cavorting about haplessly in an adults-only black comedy? Then, once again, the excellent Wardrobe Theatre awaits.

But if Christmas theatre for you means lavish sets, telly and pop-culture references aplenty, regular splashes of Elton and Jacko, some top-rate physical comedy and pratfalling and some faces you recognise off of the gogglebox, then the Hippodrome is once again the place to be this Christmas.

This year’s casting seems to mesh particularly well. Bristol-based CBeebies presenter Andy Day, who will be a big draw to fans of a certain age thanks to his onscreen exploits with dinosaurs and others, is perfectly pitched as Muddles, the affable, puppyishly enthusiastic court jester; Kim Ismay is wonderfully barbed and snarling as Queen Morgiana, Snow White’s evil and jealous stepmum; and Warwick (Willow, Life’s Too Short) Davis is in brilliantly comic form, as well as a very effective marshal of the seven dwarves’ diverse characters and comedic talents.

Everything, basically, is safely and very competently in place: Francesca Lara Gordon’s Snow White is a lovely, smiling ingénue who can also belt out a tune when the need arises; Shaun Dalton’s tall, dashing Prince Clive of Clifton (keep an ear out for the local humour – there’s plenty) is, well, tall and dashing but also with a nice streak of diffident humour; Andy Ford does his comic Bristolian thing to great effect, mincing, mumbling and my-loverrring with gusto. Hell, even Shaun the Sheep shows us his karate moves. Physical comedy is everywhere, from the dwarves’ internal joshing to a hilarious scene in which a duet gets constantly derailed.

The thing that might stay with you for longest, though, even above the perfectly-pitched performances, belted-out power ballads and cutting references to poor old Bridgwater (wonder who they make fun of down there?) could just be the fabulous sets, a glittering array of scenes that beautifully render palace, haunted tower, gloomy woods and more.

For those in the market for trad Xmas thrills and spills, the Hippodrome has served up a triumph of beautiful staging, totally engaged acting and humour pitched at all ages. If you’re wondering whether there’ll be laughs for you as well as the kids, fear not. 

Snow White continues at Bristol Hippodrome until Sunday, January 3. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/snow-white/bristol-hippodrome