ALL’S well that ends well in the Wyvern’s slaptacular pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – no thanks to the conniving Wicked Queen.

In last night’s wacky performance, the forces of good triumphed over evil and a certain young lady nabbed her prince (oh yes she did!), all in time for an all-singing, all-dancing finale complete with first-class twerking and a flawless command of jazz hands.

With EastEnders’ Ian Beale (aka Adam Woodyatt, aka the queen’s hapless henchman Chambers) as the star of the show and Swindon’s most coquettish dame David Ashley back by popular demand, expectations were high and the excited band of youngsters filing into the theatre with their equally excited parents were ready for nothing less than a slapstick corker of a show.

In a liberal reinvention of the timeless fairytale, the Wicked Queen flies into a jealous rage when her step-daughter – the alabaster-skinned and aptly-named Snow White – is declared fairest of them all by her magic mirror. Poor Snow White is forced to flee to the forest, where she is kindly sheltered by seven friendly – and oh-so cute – dwarfs, all played by local schoolchildren.

Cue the handsome Prince Harry who sets out to thwart the Wicked Queen’s plans to kill Snow White and win the heart of his one true love.

We howled with laughter as David Ashley and Rhys Morgan turned painters and decorators in a scene of epic farcical proportions.

We booed the Wicked Queen with gusto, even though actress Jenny-Ann Topham was clearly relishing the role.

We jeered at her henchman – Mr Woodyatt – but only until he revealed his true heart of gold. 

And we certainly giggled when he forgot Snow White’s name (twice), calling her Cinderella by mistake.

His corpsing on stage, and later mickey-taking of himself, showed what a good sport he is and it was good to see him out in the audience during the finale, high-fiving his fans and even dancing in the aisles.

With gags aplenty, electrifying pop routines, a kooky DIY interlude and heaps of wicked cackling, this year’s panto is without a doubt ‘the fairest of them all’.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is on at the Wyvern Theatre until January 3.

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Sophie Camble as Snow White takes centre stage at the Wyvern Theatre and below the villian we all love to hate actress Jenny-Ann Topham as the Wicked Queen. Pictures by Pete Dewhirst

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