Snow White at Paisley Arts Centre Review
Chris Alexander and Chiara Sparkes in Snow White. Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
Written by Kathryn for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Paisley was feeling festive this week as the 36th annual PACE panto opened at Paisley Arts Centre.
Our title character, the lovely Snow White (Chiara Sparkes), is turning 18, and the whole village is out to celebrate in style. However, things take a turn when their queen (Joanne McGuiness) orders Snow White killed so she can remain “the fairest of them all”.
PACE always loves giving their female leads a bit of a twist, and this year’s Snow White is no exception. Chiara Sparks is confident, funny, and brave as our Snow White - a dab hand at DIY and dreaming of opening her own shop one day. She also, very importantly, LOVES an apple. In contrast, the queen’s son Prince Barry (played expertly by Bailey Newsome), who has been instructed to kill Snow White, is nervous and terrified of his mum. In a nice swap, it’s the Prince who has to find the courage to stand up to the evil queen in the end.
Panto double act Chris Alexander and Alan Orr bring the comedy as dame Sally Smyth and the town lumberjack Archie. They are a fantastic pair, really bouncing off each other both throughout the show and ensuring much hilarity within the audience. Andy McGregor’s fantastic script has jokes for all ages and there’s still plenty of room for improvisation.
It wouldn’t be a PACE panto without the young cast and four teams of young performers cover the entire run - around 100 young people in total. In Snow White, they play our classic panto villagers, our evil queen’s scary bats, and our seven magical miners who hide Snow White in their home. I loved the little local twist on these familiar characters - instead of Grumpy, Bashful, and Sneezy, we have Riddie, Snotty, Numpty, and of course, no one could forget Farty!
PACE pantos are always great for audience participation, mostly thanks to the small theatre space. The characters are regularly up in the seating bank chatting to the audience and it’s incredibly easy for anyone to get down to the stage and become a part of the performance. A highlight for me is always the little song and dance number at the end, where children are welcomed up on the stage to perform with the cast.
With so many pantos to choose from in the central belt, you wouldn’t be going wrong with a visit to Snow White. It’s incredibly family-friendly, affordable, and the intimate venue means you really feel a part of the panto. A must-see festive treat for all.
Plays until 5 January 2026
★ ★ ★ ★
