City’s got talent for fairest panto of all

SOUTHAMPTON’S Mayflower Theatre has announced that Britain’s Got Talent winners and street dance sensations Ashley Banjo and Diversity will star in this year’s fairest pantomime of them all – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

With sets and costumes from The London Palladium, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will be spectacularly brought to life with an abundance of comedy, sensational song and dance numbers, fabulous costumes, and stunning scenery.

Throw in a magical mirror, the magnificent seven and plenty of audience participation and you have the perfect recipe to outwit the Wicked Queen and let love prevail in this glittering festive treat for all ages.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs runs from Saturday, December 9, to Sunday, December 31, 2023.

Ashley Banjo and Diversity will play Prince Ashley and The Royal Guards following their successful panto season in 2022 at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, having performed regularly in panto since their 2017 panto debut at The London Palladium.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is staged by Crossroads Pantomimes, the world’s biggest pantomime producer, led by Michael Harrison and the creative team behind recent Mayflower Theatre Christmas successes including last year’s production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Michael Harrison said: “Southampton audiences are going to be wowed by the incredible Ashley Banjo and Diversity this Christmas in the fairest panto in all of the land. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will feature the stunning costumes and set from the sell-out London Palladium panto which I created in 2018.”

Under the leadership of Ashley Banjo as founder, choreographer, and creative director, Diversity won Britain’s Got Talent over 15 years ago and since then have gone from strength to strength. The BAFTA-award winning group has achieved what no other dance group has, having sold well over half a million tickets across their 10 sell-out UK tours.

Ashley Banjo was awarded an MBE in the 2022 New Years Honours List for services to dance and last year he and Diversity performed for the Queen at her Platinum Jubilee concert.

Aside from being the group’s creative director and choreographer, Ashley Banjo is well known for his television roles; he has presented, judged and produced many award-winning programmes including Britain’s Got Talent, Dancing On Ice and the Emmy and BAFTA-award winning The Real Full Monty.

Having been involved in the prestigious Pride of Britain Awards for a number of years, 2022 saw Ashley co-host the event for a second year.

Fellow Diversity members, Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely, are the ARIA award winning hosts of the Kiss FM Breakfast Show and continue to pursue their individual and duo television projects.

​Michael Ockwell, Mayflower Theatre Chief Executive said: “We cannot wait to welcome Ashley Banjo and Diversity to our stage this year in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We know they will bring all of the tricks and flips which will wow our audiences. Add an apple, an evil queen and a magical mirror and this is going to be the perfect fairy tale pantomime.”

For three weeks only, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs will bring all the laughter, spectacle, special effects and glittering festive magic audiences have come to expect each year from the Mayflower Theatre’s spectacular Christmas panto.

So Mirror, Mirror on the wall, don’t miss the fairest pantomime of them all! Tickets for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Saturday, December 9 – Sunday, December 31) are on sale from Mayflower Theatre Box Office tel: 02380 711811 or online at.