Snow White

Octagon, Yeovil

GUSH ALERT. Seriously, brace yourselves for an unprecedented collection of superlatives.

The Yeovil panto is always great, but this year I do believe the team has aced it. I laughed so much I had a sore throat afterwards.

The hilarious Gordon Cooper returned as Nurse Nellie, with that quick-fire delivery and comic timing peculiar to Scots. He joined panto veteran Jack Glanville, who turned in another side-splitting performance as Muddles.

Thom Ford’s Herman was a triumph – particularly in the spectacular, hysterical Queen tribute, which featured the sweetest two-foot tall Brian May you’ll ever see.

The three of them, along with the fabulous Lizzie Francis as Queen Ivannah, ensured the audience kept laughing throughout.

Incredibly, the Magic Mirror turned out to be Monty Python’s Michael Palin, who appeared Red Dwarf-style as a disembodied head…

I must mention the dancers, who were particularly good this year – the choreography was so well put together that they really added to the action, rather than being simply a way of linking scenes. Special kudos to Kalisha Johnson – that girl can really move.

The score, too, had so many great tunes – someone had been very clever in choosing the music and adapting it.

The casting of Snow White (Thom’s American wife Kathryn Nash) was also a little bit of genius. The scene where the dancers whirled round her as forest animals was so evocative of the Disney film it was sheer magic.

The seven dwarves were amazing too – with Brian Wheeler (of Star Wars, Top Gear, Harry Potter among his stellar 35-year career), the world’s smallest bodybuilder Choon Tan and Paralympian Andrew Martin among them.

The set was gorgeous, the costumes divine. I couldn’t fault it if I tried.

Snow White runs until January 5. Do go and see it. See octagon-theatre.co.uk or call 01935 422884