Snow White: A Sacred Heart Christmas Special

For decades, Sacred Heart’s pantomime has been a highlight of the Autumn term, and this year was no exception. A true passion project led by students, the 2025 pantomime was a unique retelling of the 1938 classic Snow White. Featuring Layla May Brown as the eponymous heroine of the tale, and Tobi Emmanuel as the evil villain, the cast and crew involved over 40 Sixth Form students who dedicated themselves to bringing this pupil-directed project to the stage this Christmas.

This year's directors Evie Thompson, Molly Murray, Mercy Tokunboh and Lola Marshall, all devoted themselves to preparing this performance for our Sacred Heart community just in time to get us all in the festive spirit and make our last week in school before the Christmas holidays really special.

The 2025 pantomime focused on the story of Snow White and her tribulations as she joined a new school full of fairytale characters. Involving the standard princes and princesses we expect in a magical Christmas tale (along with a few unexpected guests) this unique adaptation not only depicted a tale of true love but also one of jealousy and revenge - showcasing the dangers of envy while also following the journey of our heroine’s self-discovery.

I had the opportunity to interview a few of the cast members as they prepared for their big week of live performances and asked them to reflect on whether they had learned any lessons because of acting in this year's pantomime. Stephanie (who plays Naveen) shared how she had learnt the importance of clear articulation of her lines and all the micro expressions she had to develop to clearly communicate her character’s thoughts and feelings to the audience. In a similar fashion, Kyrie (Cinderella) also told me about the importance of focusing on the details and remembering to use all the different spaces on the stage. Isabella (Grumpy) noted how much confidence she had developed because of being part of the panto, while both Tosan (Naveen) and Layla (Snow White) agreed that the experience helped them develop clearer communication skills with their peers. All those involved agreed that they now understood the importance of teamwork when coordinating a project like the school pantomime. 

I also asked if they had any words of wisdom for next year's cast and they did! ‘Listen to your directors and teachers; show up to every rehearsal; and most importantly, enjoy the experience of creating bonds and developing friendships with your castmates!’

The 2025 pantomime had a run of 3 amazing performances and a dress rehearsal that was attended by a special primary school audience. Such an amazing production would not be possible without the dedicated Sacred Heart drama teachers: Ms. Palma, Mrs. Burgess, Mrs. Curry and Mrs. Richardson, and the talented tech team led by Mr. Simpson.  From all the cast and crew, a very merry Christmas to you all!

Written by Wizda Qasim (Year 12)