Snow White, Georgian Theatre Royal, Richmond

ONCE upon a time on a film set in Hollywood in the golden delicious (yes there are apples) era of Art Deco, we find Snow White, a wannabe starlet looking for her big break.

Emily Essery has all the attributes of sweet innocence and of course, beauty, that are essential to the plot.

But we need to get one thing straight. There are no dwarfs in this show, nor were there any in the original fairy story written by the Brothers Grimm.

It was Walt Disney who changed the anonymous, benevolent little earth-spirits into individual dwarf characters.

The Grimms’ spirits were perfectly capable of looking after themselves, unlike the bearded babies of Disney who have to be cooked and cleaned for by Snow White, the all-American perfect Mom.

Our villain is a wickedly good Penny McDonald as Norma Desmondemeona, ageing movie star, who is losing her looks and so vain she’s invented an ingenious David Bowie mirror that doesn’t lie.

The Dame, an unlikely film director Orsenia Wells, is the endearing Gary "Gacko" Bridgens, who is brimful of silly jokes, some of which I actually hadn’t heard before, and I loved his performance of Sia’s Chandelier.

Bridgens just gets better every year, his comedy timing is spot on.

Making a memorable stage debut as the love interest Rudolph Valentine, as well as the quirky David Bowie-inspired Mirror, is Billy Gaines, from Richmond.

Those spirits are the Film Set Ragamuffins, a bunch of really talented local young people who did not put a foot out of place.

Foxton’s delightfully uncluttered set fits into the theatre with seamless beauty, and Naomi Parker’s costumes are awesome. Daniel Bowater’s music captures the period perfectly, ably assisted by the talented Jack Burton.

But it is the visionary theatre manager, Clare Allen, who must take star billing for her inspirational writing and directing. The whole show is pure genius and I loved it. Performances continue until January 8.

Helen Brown