Snow White

After a warm welcome by Steve Parks, Samantha Harvey and lots of the production team, we took our seats and see a brilliantly designed set. It consisted of a series of enormous, almost circular arches across the entire width and depth of the stage. The leading edges of which were decorated with tiny lights, which changed to create the different moods of the scenes. At upstage centre was a large oval flat which was rotated to provide the change of set to the Wizard’s shop which was packed with lots of props, all looking very appropriate.

This Christmas Panto written by Samantha,  assisted along the way by Debbie Osborne & Nikki Brown,  was a take on Snow White with original twists along with the usual traditional standards of  “It’s behind you” and loads of terrible jokes. Here we see  Dame Fresco’s magic shop along with her seven wizards instead of the seven dwarfs.  The Dame played by the excellent  Simon Dodwell, worked hard communicating well with his, dare I say, slightly slow first night audience.  The wizards, who consisted of Daisy, Gabriel, Sarah, Sam, Ella, Rebecca and Jack  were full of fun and performed some great little magic tricks including the apparent cutting in half of Snow White, very effectively done, with the help of Magic Consultant,  Daniel Bean supplying the props.   

There was lots of comedy supplied by Tidy Heidi and Tina the Cleaner, (Samantha Harvey and Emma-Dawn Garnett) who were constantly on-stage and in amongst the audience. Where they get all their energy from I will never know!  I might add at this stage that Samantha, not only wrote and took a leading role, she was also choreographer and acted as on-stage dance captain, leading over 20 junior chorus and ensemble through all the dances.  They were  also assisted by a clever robotic cleaner, Hazel Kilner.

Snow White played by Amelie Dineen was delightful, the archetypal sweet young girl with a lovely voice. Along with Prince Charming  (Ben Coupe) they made a good couple  and portrayed their characters well. The Prince was accompanied by his trusty steed, Willy and was well played by Neill Pearce who announced that after playing Pantos for over 40 years he ended up playing a horse!! He did surprise us all at the end of the show with a most impressive solo. This horse certainly had a good voice and a very comical persona!!

There has to a ‘baddie’ in the form of the evil queen, Stephanie Stoddart and she certainly whipped up the audience who were appropriately hissing and booing her. Her magic mirror was a framed Elvis/Trumpesque look-alike,  Andy Kimber, which was very funny and amusingly different.  She also had two comedic, silly guards, never quite getting things right, but well portrayed by Jo Rayner and Peter Mason.

There was some well chosen, great song and dance numbers, all well performed by soloists and energetic chorus which were well received. I have already mentioned the excellent and innovative lighting  complimenting each scene. The costumes were good and colourful and just what was needed to enhance the imaginative, yet simplistic set.

Well done to Samanatha, Debbie & Nikki and  all at Deben Players for an enjoyable evening.

Catherine Dixey. NODA East Representative District E12 
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