Reviews

New Forest Players    Ballard School, New Milton Darren Funnell 28 December 2025   New Forest Players are back with another festive hit, and this year’s Snow White, directed with flair by Claire Nicholson, is exactly what a pantomime should be: funny, colourful and full of heart. Performed at Ballard School this week, it combines confident principal performances, energetic young performers, and a robust technical team to create a truly enjoyable panto. The real litmus test, of course, is whether the children watching enjoyed it, and from where I was sitting, they most certainly did. It was also good to see

Encore! Theatre Productions    Forest Arts Centre, New Milton Becki Dawson 15 December 2025 Encore! Theatre productions is a relatively new, Southbourne based group set up by Jo Mansfield in 2014, and putting on a wide variety of shows including their infamous naughty pantos. Binder’erfella, written by Chelsea Sherry and co-directed with her husband, is Encore!’s 4th naughty panto and I must say that viewer discretion is absolutely advised! If you don’t like toilet humour, innuendos or casual swearing then this one is not for you. However, I went expecting it and definitely came away laughing! Set a couple of years after

Studio Theatre    Studio Theatre, SalisburyLloyd Perry 10 December 2025 Tis the season to be jolly! And what better way to start the festive season then settling in on a cold night to watch a pantomime. The Christmas offering from Studio Theatre, Salisbury this year is a new pantomime penned by Studio’s very own Ian Flindell. The story is reassuringly predictable with good overcoming evil, friendships made, the odd marriage or two and some humour along the way. The plot moves us between summer sunshine and winter ice over two acts, with songs, dance and a plethora of Christmas trees

Maskers Theatre Company    Maskers Studio, Shirley, SouthamptonDavid A Putley 8 December 2025 This is a very suitable classy Christmas Present from Maskers, deftly directed by Philip De Grouchy with musical director Juliette Ribi, the latter performing beautifully ambient non intrusive music under the monologues, and singing herself too. Take five performers and give them some duly themed items to read and you have the perfect prescription in these currently wet and soggy times. Angela Raistrick, Jill Desborough, Sue Dashper, Graham Buchanan and Ken Hannah worked so well together, moving effortlessly between pieces. Each had a standout: the carol Adore

Chesil Theatre    Chesil Theatre, Winchester Anne Waggott 30 November 2025 Shirley Bradshaw (née Valentine), aged 42, is a disenchanted Liverpudlian housewife, feeling trapped in her monotonous loveless marriage and mundane life, wistfully pining for the loss of her exuberant and adventurous younger self. When a friend invites her on a holiday to Greece, initially Shirley resists the temptation to up sticks and go… until, pushed to her last limit, she leaves her life (and husband) behind on a whim, travels to Greece, meets a charmingly flirtatious Greek taverna owner, and finds herself, her passion for life… and more besides…!