Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Buxton Opera House Review
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Buxton Opera House
10 December to 1 January 2017
Reviewed by Dotty Winters
For thousands of UK families attending a pantomime is a vital Christmas tradition, and there are few places more Christmassy to attend one than the glorious surroundings of Buxton Opera House. This gorgeous market town is always beautifully decorated, and there are plenty of local festive events, including various Christmas markets in the Pavilion Gardens adjacent to the Opera House. The Opera House itself is centrally located with easy parking (which is free from 6pm), although this can fill up, so it’s worth arriving in plenty of time.
The Opera House itself dates from 1903 and is meticulously maintained, incredibly grand and suitably atmospheric. The staff are friendly, well informed and great with kids. This year’s pantomime, presented by Buxton Opera House and CTP Pantomimes, is the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with celebrity sparkle in the form of James Holmes (best known as Clive from Miranda) and Lucy Dixon from Waterloo Road and Hollyoaks.
As you’d expect, the production includes plenty of laughs – a good mix of slapstick silliness which especially appealed to the kids and a small number of naughtier jokes designed to fly over younger heads and keep the grown-ups laughing (and occasionally, groaning). The cooking scene, 12 days of Christmas schtick and Sound of Music medley all stood out as brilliantly played comic moments. The usual It’s-Behind-You interaction elements were at bit less used than is traditional, but whenever there was a chance to participate and the audience joined in with gusto.
The sheer class of the venue was more than matched by the quality and opulence of both the sets and the costumes. As usual the Dame’s costume’s stole the show, but for me the detail on the chorus costumes was also very impressive. The cast performed brilliantly, interacting with the audience, playing it for laughs and ad-libbing their way through one very minor technical issue.
There are a lot of musical numbers to contend with – and as is now usual, these were mainly current chart hits, performed enthusiastically (even in not all of the vocal performances were are polished as they may be later in the run). Other compulsory pantomime elements like the audience sing-a-long and bringing some children up on stage were adeptly handled and delivered with pace.
The real charm of this production was the local touches. In Fairy of the Peaks role was especially innovative, bringing a great twist to the traditional character and providing some real local warmth which the local audience really responded well to.
I’ve not attended the Buxton Opera House pantomime before, but I, and my young co-reviewers were impressed enough that it may well be the first choice next year. If you haven’t booked your panto tickets yet, and Buxton is an option, check it out, you will be assured of a well-crafted, traditional and family-friendly experience. Oh Yes You Will!
Rating: 4.5/5
Tickets cost from £17.50 to £23 (booking fees may apply).
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at Buxton Opera House until 1 January 2017. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0845 127 2190.
Buxton Opera House, Water Street, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN | 0845 127 2190
