Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs At The Hawth Crawley Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
Nothing says the start of the festive season more than a pantomime with thousands of families filling theatres at this time of year, looking for a fun night out. If you or your family are looking for a fabulous festive treat this year, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the brilliant performance of Snow White at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley, with its easy access from many nearby towns and the M23 motorway. Unfortunately, due to flooding, we were running late for our 7pm performance but still managed to get parked easily in The Hawth’s plentiful free parking, even though it was just before the performance started.
Snow White was held in the main theatre and there was hardly a spare seat left as we hastily took our places ready for the start of the show, being busy is never a problem at The Hawth though, as every seat in the auditorium has an excellent view.
Produced by Paul Hendy, Emily Wood & the team at Evolution Productions, producers of a plethora of fantastic pantomimes at The Hawth, the performance tells the traditional story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Prince Charming looking for the fairest maiden in the land to marry.
Amy Rhiannon Worth, from Coronation Steet & Emmerdale fame, plays a great part as the wicked queen, you can tell she has spent time singing with some great artists including Ronan Keating, as her voice is spot on when belting out classics such as Sweet Child O’Mine.
Sydnie Hocknell is delightful as Snow White sweetly dancing & singing through her part as the fairy tale dictates. Whilst wooing Snow White, Ore Oduba, as the dashing Prince Charming, showcases his dancing talents from his Strictly Come Dancing win, together with his fabulous singing voice and stage presence perfectly honed during theatre shows such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang & The Rocky Horror Show.
Mark Oxtoby of Eastenders fame is hilarious as Herman, and his “identical” twin brother Boris Von Vindscreen Viper, better known as Viper from The Gladiators, plays his part perfectly as the strong silent type.
Snow Whites best friend Muddles (Stefan Gough), brings in some witty one liners and audience participation but its Nurse Nellie, played by Michael J Batchelor that really gets the laughs. After 26 years of playing the panto Dame, including 12 years at the Hawth, he knows how to play the crowd, and stuns in the amazing costumes, wigs & headdresses he designs and makes himself. He practically has a change of outfit per scene, look out for the Gladiators one! As is traditional a man was picked from the front row to be the love interest for the whole performance and even given a ring, resulting in plenty of good gags. I must add a special mention to The Seven, Sarge, Cheeky, Groover, Striker, Sniffly, Kevin & the joyous energetic Loopy bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. Throughout the show, the main characters are joined by a group of six ensemble members, all fabulous dancers who do a foot perfect performance to every song.
There were plenty of highlights, the hilarious scene where Nellie, Muddles & Herman pressed a button to hear their thoughts played through music being one, the whole audience was in stitches. There were also three very special additions to the show, a virtual mirror, Muddles’ flying car & Herman’s dream, all of which I want to leave as a surprise, but rest assured all result in adding wow factor to the show, prepare to be amazed!
We had a fantastic family evening’s entertainment watching Snow White at the Hawth with its amazing scenery, stunning costumes & super special effects, it’s the one to watch this festive season.
Most dates have two shows per day right up until the 31st December and with a range of prices per show, there is something for everyone, please do book soon as tickets are selling out fast.
Rating: 5/5.
Tickets cost range from £21.00 (child) to £44.00
Snow White is at The Hawth, Crawley from 6th December – 31 December 2025 for more information or to book tickets visit www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 01293 553636
Address of theatre : The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley,RH10 6YZ