Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
⭑⭑⭑⭑☆

PANTOMIME is as traditional as mince pies, mulled wine and – if you live in the Bradford district – Billy Pearce. The entertainer has played the “fool” in its many forms for 25 years at the Alhambra. This year he’s The Man In The Mirror but he could just as easily be Buttons or Wishee Washee given the tenuous plot in Harry Michaels’s and Alan McHugh’s adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

Staged in Ian Westbrook’s sparkly primary-coloured sets, there’s a raucous familiarity to much of the proceedings. Within the first 30 minutes the front rows have been squirted with water. The audience has booed, hissed, and shouted “he’s behind you.” Irreverent jokes have been made about politicians and ex-royals.

But, as Geoff Bottoms recently observed in this paper, pantomime has a long tradition of carnival and subversion. The casting of drag act Myra DuBois as Queen Lucretia, the evil stepmother, aligns with its rich tradition of playing with gender roles. Having risen through the comedy circuit, she’s sharp tongued and quick witted. Turning the volume up on Patricia Routledge’s Hyacinth Bucket, she delivers many of the show’s most acerbically funny lines.

Her star quality means the show is effectively a two-hander with Pearce. A scene in which they perform an ever-expanding tongue twister is amusing because of their chemistry, not just because of its bawdiness. The energy drops when they’re not on stage, despite Callum Connolly (Prince William of Wakefield) and Sarah Pearson (Princess Snow White) being capable musical theatre actors. Eighties pop star Sinitta (the Spirit of Pantomime) is largely forgettable, despite The X Factor gags and updated version of “So Macho” (with dancers in firefighter costumes, for the full Village People effect).

Credit is nonetheless due to the Sunbeams, the local youth dance troupe, and Jamie John (Prof), who puts in a strong performance during the organised chaos of 12 Days Of Christmas. As pots are flung into the wings and curtains come crashing down, it’s hard to know what’s scripted. It’s this topsy-turvy world in which pantomimes excel, with the enthusiastic audience response suggesting there’s plenty of life left in this particular tradition.

Runs until January 18 2026. Box Office 01274 432000, bradford-theatres.co.uk