Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Cast: Samantha Arends, Emma Bispham, Jamie Clarke, Michael Fletcher, Stephen Fletcher, Lindzi Germain, Hayley Sheen, Andrew Schofield, Keddy Sutton.

Musicians: Howard Gray, Ben Gladwin, Mike Woodbine, Greg Joy.

Anarchy in the hands of the theatrical and the artistic arguably achieves more than a demonstration and the gnashing of teeth; the power of laughter bringing the pompous to their knees, the smallest prick of hilarity bursting the bubble of the forever vain and the insincere pretentious. Anarchy rules, and its rules are simple, make them laugh and you will have a show that is beautiful to the core and one with a polished sheen attached to it.

Disney may have wowed crowds with his version of the young woman hated by the Witch Queen, but Liverpool has its own Snow White, the hunter with the deadly aim, a gang of dwarves led by a granny who has a hand in everything and a set of songs that set the evening on course for the Royal Court Theatre to revel in the apple of the Liverpool audience’s eye, The Scouse Snow White.

There is nothing that compares with the colourful and the dynamic, with the spectacular, and it is under the stewardship of Writer Kevin Fearon, Director Chris Mellor and Musical Director Howard Gray, that the fabulous comes to life, one in which the mirror on the wall is not afraid to delve into the realm of sarcastic and in which innocent woodland creatures shudder in their hiding holes at the arrow of the apologetic huntsman.

There is always a consideration that the comfortable feel of any cast could see the production turn into one of going through the motions, upbeat but expected; this has never been the case at The Royal Court, the dynamic between Stephen Fletcher and the divine Lindzi Germain is one that you can never take your eyes from, the unexpected adding vibrancy and devilment, the perfect example of artistic anarchy in motion.

That dynamic is a fluid, breathing entity, it sparkles in Stephen Fletcher’s character The Vampire Christmas Killer, it is effervescent in Samantha Arends who gives the crowd a masterclass in puppetry, it is beautiful in the vocal and movement of Keddy Sutton, Jamie Clarke, Hayley Sheen and Andres Schofield; it is one that is encouraged by all the cast to be felt within the audience, and in turn is greeted with pleasure as the music takes hold of the Christmas soul.

The Scouse Snow White is stuffed full of biting wit, of the passion that the season pleads for; no need to sing high ho, just go, just be there and revel in the fortunes of core.

Ian D. Hall