Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ at the Weymouth Pavilion and it was utterly brilliant!!  It was my son's first Panto and both myself and his nanny haven’t had the opportunity to attend one since I was a child so we were all just a little bit excited.

The opening scene to the show can be a teeny weeny bit scary for the younger guests so hold them tight and they’ll be fine.  It’s a very traditional family friendly Panto with the usual audience participation and funny lines to shout.  The Panto follows the story of Snow White and her evil stepmother the Queen.  Of course the Queen despises Snow White for she is the 'fairest of the land' and the Queen has to do whatever she can to get the gorgeous Prince Peter of Poundbury all to herself.   

The cast all work perfectly together and no Panto would ever be a success without a character like Muddles.  He had us in stitches and along with Nurse Nelly the pair of them really did steal the show sometimes with their occasional cheeky adult humour and general silliness.  All of the cast were great including the cute little dancers and the perfectly timed seven dwarfs!  As for the set and costumes, I won’t lie, I thought it wouldn’t be high budget like the West End but I was pleasantly surprised at how professional it looked, especially some of the Dame’s wigs and dresses!

I was a little worried about the length of the show with a 3 year old but it went by in a flash and as each scene is fairly short you never had an opportunity to get bored.  I had completely forgot that as a child I was invited on stage during a Panto to play an instrument and when this happened during Snow White I was hit with a huge warm feeling of nostalgia.      

The most memorable part of the show was when the mirror started talking and my son loudly asked ‘why has the mirror got no arms, legs, or winky’?  Myself and nanny were literally in tears.  Even today he has asked many times why the magic mirror had no body and why it floats like a boat?

The show is running until the 3rd of January so if you can’t make it before Christmas then use it an excuse to have some family time before or after the New Year.  Full details of the show, times and prices are found at the Weymouth Pavilion.   

The Theatre itself really is a beautiful traditional seaside venue and perfect for locals and holiday makers.  They have a small bar and kiosk in the entrance along with the ticket desk and then upstairs you’ll find the Piano Bar which is open for pre show meals.  I feel I should add that the seats are very comfortable.  I attended a show in another theatre when I was pregnant last time and sadly it was ruined by the fact that my bum was numb within 20 minutes!  As for the staff we met, each and every person clearly enjoyed their job and it really is noted when someone bends down to a child’s level to talk to them and welcome them to the show.

Good to know……….

• If you are using the public Pay and Display Car Park which is at the back of the Pavilion then please read the signs as some Christmas special offers may apply. 

• The bar and kiosk in the foyer offer plenty of drinks and snacks for the children (just in case they get fidigity).  I was also armed with a few toy cars but surprisingly they weren’t needed at all.

• The usual flashy lights and swords are sold in the foyer for £5.  (Parents beware, the long one’s are perfect eye pokers and will make you see stars when turned on by accident in the dark).

• Approximate running time is 2 hours 35 minutes which includes a 20 minute interval.

• If you are travelling by public transport then the Train Station is not too far away although if you have little legs with you then you may wish to hop on a bus or jump in a taxi.

Big thanks to the Weymouth Pavilion, the Cast and the Production Crew for a fantastic start to what I’m sure will become our annual favourite Christmas tradition.  You put on a truly magical show and I will thoroughly recommend it to as many people as I can.   

We were fortunate enough to attend a show at the Lighthouse in Poole called ‘Otto and the Robin’ this week and I’m really starting to get the Theatre bug!  As always I was nervous that my 3 year old son Sam would get bored and want to leave but generally when I’m nervous about something it pretty much always works out fine (plus I took some small cars and quiet snacks for emergency use). 

We've been to events at the Lighthouse before however we have never attended a show and I was delighted to see ours was being held in a little theatre which is perfect for pre-schoolers who may find a large room full of people daunting.   

The small intimate theatre we were in had benches rather than chairs and this was great for us as we cuddled up together.

The show is about a man called Otto who wants to go to the Annual Piddle under Puddle Christmas Party but he’s so shy that he hasn’t been able to go for years and it takes a new friend in the form of a Robin to give him the confidence he needs.  From the moment the show started my son snuggled up closer and we sat without moving for a long time.  I almost didn’t want to breathe as I’d never seen him so transfixed.  Every time the phone rang on set he’d watch Otto squirm and burst out laughing looking at me with a great big beaming grin. 

There’s a couple of great surprises in the show which Sam found hilarious and we both loved the Robin.  The 2 actors in the show really are fantastic at bringing a simple stage to life and you could see the children were comfortable at the times when the audience needed to participate.

There’s much more about the show I could add like the parts we found funny and how it all ends but then there would be no point in you going would there?  I will add though that at the final scene I did have a few tears of joy but I’m putting that down to having a thoroughly enjoyable time with my son plus I’m pregnant and hormonal!

Don’t be in a rush to leave at the end, the cast and the Robin were outside ready to meet us and we had a fantastic photo opportunity plus they had some very affordable souvenirs on sale which we bought.

Thanks to the Lighthouse and Angel Exit Theatre for a magical time spent with my son, I will be thoroughly recommending your show to as many people as I can and wish you a very Merry Christmas.

If you would like to read more about the show and find out about ticket prices and availability then please visit Lighthouse Poole.

PS, apologies to anyone in the audience who could hear my son repeatedly and proudly announce that our Christmas Tree was bigger than Otto’s!