Director: Ed Curtis
A nostalgic trip to the Bradford pantomime at the Alhambra – your reviewer’s first in over forty years – and it was a delight to find that the tradition is still going strong. A packed house of families bringing children for their first taste of theatre – and a magnificent one it is too.
This year’s offering, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, sees long term audience favourite, Billy Pearce in his 25th anniversary appearance, this time as the Man in the Mirror – and his suit is certainly sharp enough! Glittering in splendour he could almost eclipse the Dame, wicked Queen Lucretia, Myra Dubois, if she were to allow it!
Sarah Pearson and Callum Connolly as Snow White and the handsome Prince William of Wakefield are charmingly keen to be married, but oh no… so is her wicked stepmother Lucretia – oh yes she is! And the vocal support she received on this night, from the unwitting man in the front row, was not enough to change anyone’s minds – though he did warm up as the audience cheered him on.
There is a great ensemble, in fabulous costumes – dresses which transform from icy powder blue to hot red in the blink of an eye, or in fire-fighter’s outfits, strutting like Village People – a clear hit with the crowd. The moments when the stage is full, are the real highlights of the panto – so too the appearances of the Sunbeams, Bradford’s traditional junior chorus. The children are delightful: incredibly well-drilled and acting their socks off – they just needed a bit more time at the front of the stage!
Jokes and riffs come fast and furious. There is the usual teasing of local places and of course the unavoidable memes. How many dwarves are there? Six? Seven? Add to this some extraordinary production values – a helicopter that could have been borrowed from Miss Saigon over the way in Leeds and the most terrifying dragon both loom well into the auditorium and bring plenty of howls and cheers of excitement.
Sinitta, the Spirit of Pantomime appears in many a puff of smoke – or as Billy Pearce quips, is someone having a vape backstage? She adds some great musical quality to the evening, in particular in a duet she sings with the equally tuneful Prince William as they mercifully take over the vocals from the Man in the Mirror – to great comic effect!
Whilst there is a lot to love and enjoy in this traditional family friendly production, a few of the set pieces need to be sharper and it seemed a shame that the 12 Days of Christmas couldn’t have involved more performers – and perhaps fewer disappearing props! A perfect opportunity, perhaps, for all of the Seven Dwarves, who had great audience appeal, to flesh out their performances further.
Without doubt, Billy Pearce has the pulling power to entertain this loyal local audience and the spectacle at the end leaves far more of a rosy glow than any well-polished apple!
Runs until 18th January 2025
