|
Gilt & Grime presents
Hi Ho Snow White’s Twisted Sequel
Written by Dominic Mitchell
Produced by Tom Platten
Cobden Club - Grand Hall
1 - 9 September 09
A review by Chad Armitstead for EXTRA! EXTRA!
As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe closes and the fog of hangover lifts, Gilt & Grime’s Hi Ho opens in London, keeping the spirit of new comic writing alive for those of us who can’t quite let go of it yet. Think Shrek meets Into the Woods and you’ll have the comic tropes upon which Mitchell’s new musical sequel to Snow White relies. In the vacuum left by the Princess’ departure, suicide has reduced the dwarves to three. The sinister Fairies First party and the incumbent Huntsman are battling it out for election in Grimmastan. Both demand the dwarves’ store of diamonds—because of course you can’t win an election, or even run, without money. The dwarves resurrect Snow White’s defeated evil stepmother queen, hoping she’ll help them kidnap Snow White from the corrupt castles of Happyeverafter. They pin their hopes on the princess to stop her decadent home kingdom’s smothering of their democracy. Failing that, at least that she can clean the house up a bit. The show comes through with some laughs and a couple of musical semi-precious stones, though you may expect more songs from a musical. Notable is a duet in which Russell Morton shines as his affably narcissistic Prince Charming insists that Snow White address him in song. Anna Glynn proves to be the glue that holds the evening together as Snow White. Her commitment to character, solid singing and gentle ingénue presence lend a welcome charm and warmth to the show. The designers admirably turned the Cobden’s great hall into a neglected den of dwarf bachelorhood, which then easily transforms into the opulent (and pink) halls of Happyeverafter. The script aspires to many things of which playwright-to-watch Dominic Mitchell is almost surely capable—political parody, musical comedy and character-driven drama. The show can boast moments of stinging satire, songs that will make you smile and a devious penchant for unexpected dramatic reversals. However, the text seems to never quite settle on what it wants to be—satire, musical or character-driven political theatre. As such the script could be more generous with actors and audience members seeking to know on what level they should engage with the show. Cast and audience alike seem to be reaching for depths at times that simply aren’t there. The story’s protagonist likewise seems to shift. At first the dwarves appear to be the story’s not-quite-noble heroes. Quite late on, the show introduces Snow White’s struggle. This shift perhaps leaves less opportunity for Hi Ho to explore the kind of character nuance that can make an audience love a villain or hate a hero. More personal, less schematic struggles and goals could possibly afford the political commentary of the ending a stronger emotional connection. If you enjoy the gamble of going to raw, emerging work, Hi Ho fits the bill. If you want the pomp and pyrotechnics of the West End, the Cobden might not be your ticket this week.
Cobden Club, Grand Hall September 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th. Tickets: £15, £10 concessions Box Office: www.giltandgrime.co.uk
Copyright © EXTRA! EXTRA All rights reserved
|
ary Couzens 