St Mary's Annual Visit to the Pantomime

On Thursday, 19th December, the penultimate day of the Michaelmas Term, the whole school visited Croydon's Fairfield Halls for our now annual trip to the pantomime. For the third consecutive year, all pupils attended this festive outing to experience a traditional, fun-filled pantomime. This year’s performance of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs certainly lived up to expectations, with the cast delivering a magnificent show. It was the perfect way to relax and unwind after what has been another busy term for our school community.

Pantomime, with origins tracing back to ancient times and commedia dell'arte—popular across Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries—has evolved into a uniquely British art form. It combines song, dance, buffoonery, slapstick humor, cross-dressing, in-jokes, topical references, audience participation, and mild innuendo.

This year’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs followed the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, where a vain, wicked queen consults her magical mirror and learns that her beautiful stepdaughter, Snow White, is now the “fairest in the land.” Jealous, she plots to rid herself of Snow White by any means necessary. While the pantomime mostly followed the original story, it added a comedic twist with new characters such as Muddles and Dame Dilly Donut, who brought even more fun and laughter to the performance.