The Stage

Snow White and the Seven Poofs

Published Monday 13 December 2010 at 13:28 by Jonathan Lovett

Camper than Christmas in Old Compton Street, the capital’s filthiest pantomime is certainly not one for your maiden aunt.

A scene from Snow White and the Seven Poofs at the Leicester Square Theatre Photo: Brenda Spooner

The team behind last year’s Sinderfella have outdone themselves in dirty jokes, outrageous asides and some outre set pieces (if you go down to the woods today, you are sure of one big surprise), but it’s all so energetic and downright funny we can almost forgive what Snow White is forced to do to Horrible Hilda.

Starring former Drag Idol winner Tanya Hyde as an utterly charming Snow White and Bette Rinse as the nastiest of evil Queens (whose transformation into Susan Boyle is a hilarious highlight), the real fire-starter is director and co-writer Simon Gross as the Queen’s ‘hench-woman’. Gross blows away any remaining cobwebs with an oral and physical performance that is, quite frankly, terrifying - especially if you happen to be sitting in the front row.

And yet, spurred on by the drag acts and the sweaty intimacy of the venue, it’s not long before our inhibitions are as loose as Gross’ “filthy slag” and we’re clapping along to a typically random appearance by Lady Gaga.

“This might be a mucky panto, but it’s still a panto,” chirps a ridiculously happy Magic Mirror/Muddles character (buoyantly played by Paul Shears) as we enthusiastically chant a very adult, Anglo-Saxon expression right back at him.