Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (Whitley Bay)

If a panto could be judged on the amount of screaming and participation from the audience, then this version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would be a winner. But the continuous chattering of children in the audience and steady stream of people taking trips to the toilet throughout, told another story.

At over two and a half hours this production was far too long, with the story being padded out with so many songs it verged on being a musical.

While the Whitely Bay Playhouse will not have the money to spend on a lavish show, the production does not feel anything like its counterpart at the Customs House, South Shields, which is “the little panto with the big heart”.

There are three recognisable faces from TV, Lucy Dixon from Waterloo Road as Snow White, Jonny Freeman (MI- High) as the Prince, and Anne Orwin (Lou Gallagher in Byker Grove).The comedy is provided by Steve Walls as Muddles, who seems much more suited to this intimate venue, than his previous pantomimes in the massive Sunderland Empire. He does work the audience extremely well, although the children around me became a bit confused when he appeared as Ali G.

The Dwarfs are played by children in costumes with large heads reacting to pre-recorded adults voices. But to be fair the way in which this version of the story is constructed they are not involved too much.

There is no doubting the willingness from the audience to participate, and they do at every opportunity. But, with tighter direction and a good twenty minutes off the running time, this panto could move in to a different league.

- by John Dixon