Snow White: Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

Firstly let’s just get one thing straight; there are no Dwarfs in this panto, nor were there any in the original fairy story written by The Brothers Grimm. It was Walt Disney who changed the anonymous, benevolent little earth-spirits into individual dwarf characters. Grimms’ spirits were perfectly capable of looking after themselves, unlike the bearded babies of Disney, who have to be cooked and cleaned for by Snow White, the all-American Mom.

And so Richmond style, we find ourselves on a film set in Hollywood in the golden, delicious (yes, there are apples) era of glamorous Art Deco for a brilliant new interpretation of the classic story. Snow White is a wannabe starlet looking for her big break; the villain is an ageing movie star intent on despatching the heroine, and the dame is the film’s director and those spirits are ragamuffins who hang around the stars.

Making a memorable stage debut as the love interest Rudolph Valentine, as well as the ingeniously quirky David Bowie-inspired Mirror, is Billy Gaines from Richmond. Penny McDonald is wickedly good as the evil Norma Desmondemeona and Gary "Gacko" Bridgens just gets better every year, his Orsenia Wells is awesome and his version of Chandelier, truly stunning.

Foxton’s set is beautiful, Naomi Parker’s costumes are show-stoppers; Daniel Bowater’s music is spot on and the rest of the cast are all equally amazeballs. But it is the visionary theatre manager, Clare Allen, who must take star billing for her inspirational writing and directing. The whole show is pure genius and I loved every bloomin’ nano-second of it!

* Runs until January 8. Box Office: 01748-25252 or georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk

Helen Brown