Wadham College, Moser Theatre

Tuesday 1st December – Thursday 5th December, 7.30 p.m.

“this dose of light entertainment does exactly what its audience asks of it and also manages to maintain a refreshingly high standard of dialogue” James Garrett ★★★★★

Snow White and the Seven Vertically Challenged Treasure Hunters ★★★★★

Review by James Garrett

“Snow White” asks you to suspend your suspension of disbelief as OULES reinvent this classic fairytale as a witty and somewhat risqué pantomime that works very well. The performance is littered with obligatory sexual innuendo and bad puns and yet dares to push beyond the normal limits of trite jokes. The result often sees the audience groaning with sheer embarrassment at the word play, and yet the characters’ awareness of their self-deprecating comedy wins the audience’s sympathy. That said, the performance is interspersed with moments of true hilarity, as some of the best written lines are masterfully delivered. Overall, “Snow White” comes across as a mish mash of conventions that leaves the audience wondering whether they’ve just come out of a fairy tale, musical or scathing satire. Its teasing cultural references are skilfully incorporated to great effect, particularly effective among which was the use of Macbeth’s three witches whose nonsensical contribution to the plot produced some of the most comic acting of the production. In addition, the framing of the narration, through the wonderfully implacable reporter Virgil Kent and his hapless cameraman provides a welcome vehicle for one of the most convincing satirical attacks in the production. Scattered with over-the-top types, characterisation was often extremely effective, from the ironic vanity of heroine Snow White, to Igor the sycophantic assistant to the Evil Queen, who threatened to steal the show. The use of music throughout the performance proved effective and even if some of the choruses failed to convince choreographically, all was redeemed by the uplifting closing medley. Ultimately, this dose of light entertainment does exactly what its audience asks of it and also manages to maintain a refreshingly high standard of dialogue. Praiseworthy, too, for its clever subversion of some of the most conventional characters and admirable standard of performance, it is in short, a very worthwhile comedy.