Snow White

This year's pantomime from Chorley Amateur Dramatic and Operatic Society (CADOS) was their original version of the well-known fairy tale “Snow White” one of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm originally titled in German Sneewittchen. The story was first published in their first addition of “Grimm’s Fairy Tails”in 1812, and it later became famous through Disneys 1937 animated film “Snow White and the seven Dwarfs”.

The story is about a Queen who wishes she had a daughter with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood and hair as black as ebony. Sometime later she gives birth to a daughter who matches her wishes and names her Snow White, unfortunately, the queen dies, time passes, and the king remarries again, too a beautiful evil witch who is the owner of a magic mirror that cannot lie.The mirror tells the Queen she is the most beautiful in all the land. However, Snow White grows up into a beautiful woman, and the Magic Mirror now tells the Queen that Snow White is now the most beautiful in all the land. The Evil Queen is jealous of Snow White’s beauty and tries to have her killed but when that fails, she devises a plan to kill her with a poisoned apple, happily in the end, Snow is saved by her Prince.

This original script was written by Jade Hiatt who also directed the show with Ian Robinson as Producer. In this adaptation, while the storyline generally adhered to the original plot, certain elements were altered, and some recurring characters were omitted. Notably, the huntsman was absent, and the seven dwarfs were substituted with five elves who played a minor role in the story. To be constructive, personally, I would liked to have seen the elves enter the narrative earlier and play a bigger role, which would have given the young actors who portrayed them more time to shine.

The cast put in significant effort to deliver a classic pantomime experience, embracing many of the traditions typically associated with this genre. Jade had at her disposal a gifted troupe of performers, all of whom gave enjoyable and engaging performances. The cast featured Emma Drewe-Smith as Snow White, who produced a genuinely likable character while establishing a warm connection with the audience. Her performance was effectively supported by Hollyanne McGillivray as the prince, who performed her role with notable enthusiasm and energy. Steph Threlfall excelled as the evil queen, engaging well with the audience, reacting to their jeers and comments spontaneously and getting plenty of boos. Rachel Brennan portrayed the fairy, while Alan Levesley took on the role of Magic Mirror; both ethereal characters made meaningful contributions to the story. They delivered engaging performances and interacted well with one another. It was also intriguing to see Alan’s ever-changing costumes, as he appeared in a different outfit each time he stepped onto the stage. Steven Catterall (Humble) and Daniel Melling(Tumble) formed a memorable comedy duo, both had excellent comic timing, they both worked seamlessly with Ryan Norse as the wonderful funny Dame Dotty Dimple who made a striking presence on stage. All three had an exceptionally good relationship with the audience, reacting comedically with spontaneous witty remarks in response to quips and comments and appeared comfortable and at ease performing within this genre, their rendition of the "Twelve days of Christmas" was particularly funny and had the audience laughing aloud. I would like to highlight the extremely cute Grace Norse, who portrayed mini–Snow White, as well as the five young performers who played the elves. Their performances were commendable, and their delivery of lines was clear and effective.

 Musical Director Paul Carr guided the cast in a good lineup of songs, performed well and accompanied by backing tracks. The youthful chorus of dancers delivered and performed well thought out energetic choreography by Emma Hardacre, showcasing their talent, enthusiasm, and smiles.

Throughout the production, Stage Manager Ali Vardy, along with the stage crew, ensured that scene transitions were executed smoothly and efficiently, which kept the show progressing at an engaging and steady pace, contributing significantly to the overall success and flow of the performance.

Set Designer Paul Carr led the team responsible for constructing and painting the sets, ensuring that each scene provided a suitable backdrop for the unfolding story. Ian Robinson contributed by designing outstanding stage cloths, which added depth and vibrancy to the stage environment. In addition, Judi Brewster supplied the essential properties, helping to create a comprehensive and immersive setting. Together, their collaborative efforts established a strong foundation for the cast to bring the production to life.

Paul Carr also handled the lighting and sound design, which were expertly operated by the technical support team, significantly enhancing the show's atmosphere. Costumes, coordinated by Kath Townsend and her team, with select character costumes supplied by Charades Theatrical Costumes Hire, were exemplary and contributed significantly to the authenticity of both the narrative and the characters.

Well done to everyone involved in bringing this classic British institution and original version of a well-known fairy tale to the stage, which the audience clearly enjoyed judging by their enthusiastic cheers, claps, and boos. It is said that the success of a pantomime can be measured by the audience reaction and in this case judging by their response, this production was a success.

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