Review: Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs, Birmingham Hippodrome

It is packed with good jokes, has plenty of pace, loads of glitz and some quality song and dance routines.

TV stylist Gok Wan makes a reasonable panto debut as the Man In The Mirror, although was at his most entertaining when he fluffed his lines.

As ever, it is the lesser known cast members that make the show sparkle.

I laughed till I cried at ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, as Muddles, who picked on a hapless couple from the audience, gave them false mouthpieces which were worked electronically behind the scenes and left them alone on stage to have a 'conversation', except he was doing all the talking. Great to see this somewhat jaded genre in good hands.

Gary Wilmot, playing his first dame, is a natural, never overdoing the slapstick and winning over the partisan audience with a song called 'I'd Rather Have a Balti in Brum.'

Younger audience members loved Matt Slack's Oddjob, a comic who is funny to his bones, and the giant green dragon that flew over the stalls just before the interval.

Veteran actress Stephanie Beacham is the wicked Queen Sadista while John Partridge (used to be gay Christian in EastEnders) plays it straight in the role of Prince John.

For a look behind the scenes, watch Channel 4 on December 30 for a fascinating documentary on the month building up to the opening night.

The pantomime runs until February 2.

By Marion Brennan