With talented well-known stars, unscripted fits of laughter and something for everyone to enjoy - The Regent have pulled off another unforgettable Christmas pantomime.
Last night, December 14, was the first showing of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at The Regent in Ipswich.
With an all-star cast including Natasha Hamilton from Atomic Kitten, Stevi Ritchie from the X-Factor, and Matt Pagan winner of Britain’s Got Talent, my expectations were high and they did not disappoint.
A strong factor of its success is how the script and the comedy appealed to the older members of the audience as well as the younger.
Adults were having just as much fun as the children as there was something for everyone to find amusing. There were smiles all round.
Muddles, who was played by Mike McClean, kept everyone laughing throughout and was a joy to watch. He even managed to make members of the cast chuckle even when they were not suppose to. In particular Prince Callabro, played by Matt Pagan, struggled to read his lines at moments due to being in fits of giggles. This was a delight to watch and just added that feel-good aspect, as you could see how much fun the cast were having on stage and the bond they had developed.
Another unscripted highlight was when Prince Callabro managed to knock off Dame Dotty’s wig/head piece - the talented prince looked in disbelief at what had happened and once again broke into fits of laughter.
Dame Dotty, who was played by Chris Casserly, had a number of hilarious outfits including a baked bean tin and a disco ball.
As an Atomic Kitten fan I was so excited to see Natasha Hamilton play the part of Wicked Queen Atomic. The star was a credit to the show and her talent shone every time she was on stage, you couldn’t keep your eyes off her and were hooked on her every word. A favourite scene with the Queen was when she sung a Snow White themed version of the popular Britney Spears song Toxic. The lyrical changes were clever, Natasha’s singing was fabulous and the dancing from her and her ghoulies were well thought-out and completely in sync. Any Atomic Kitten fan planning to watch the show will be pleased to hear a number of the bands hits are incorporated into the production.
Snow White was played by local actress Harriet Bacon who did a superb job of being the perfect princess. It is no surprise that Harriet got the lead role over hundreds of other hopefuls.
Read more: Revealed: Actress who will play Snow White in Ipswich panto
I had been looking forward to watching and reviewing the show after meeting the talented cast back in October so it was amazing to see the production brought to life. If you haven’t already make sure you book your tickets for a feel-good, festive, family evening.
Read more: Wicked Queen Natasha Hamilton delighted to be back in Ipswich
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