Snow White
Information
- Date
- 27th December 2024
- Society
- Dereham Theatre Company (DTCo)
- Venue
- Memorial Hall, Dereham
- Type of Production
- Pantomime
- Director
- Karen Bates
- Musical Director
- Michael Stoker
- Choreographer
- Danielle Standing
Arriving on a foggy, cold, and damp winter’s evening, I was delighted to be warmly greeted to the opening night of Dereham’s annual panto. Opening the day after Boxing Day, I was full of admiration for the commitment and dedication that must have gone into bringing this panto to the stage during this period. Not only that, but on taking my seat, as the opening began, I quickly realised that I was in for a real treat.
The costumes and sheer numbers of them were top notch in quality, particularly Dame Dolly’s various changes of headgear. I also liked the outfit of the Spirit of the Mirror, “Starlight Express” like in style and it complemented the lighting that surrounded the appearance of the mirror, especially at the opening of the show. Various high-quality illustrated backdrops were used in the changes of scenes, until the end of Act One, where, as Snow White arrived in the woods at the Dwarves’ cottage, a magnificent magical moment left the audience spellbound. The lighting, and effects used to take us deep inside the woods and underground to the cottage, was one of the most impressive pieces of set that I have ever seen. The cottage had a double wooden frontage, and a very quaint front door. In the second act, this was opened up to reveal the inside of the cottage, meticulously finished in detail, with wooden bunk beds containing each of the Dwarves’ names, and a washing line hanging tiny clothes. My congratulations to Kevin Jude as set constructor along with Cadence Knights, who intricately hand painted the cottage and created many other wonderful props. The cauldron used in Act 2 was very convincing and effective.
A special mention for MD Michael Stoker. Placed in front of the stage, Michael not only queued all the various backing tracks, but at the same time played electric guitar and keyboards. Michael also played an underscore throughout all the speaking scenes, which changed with the mood of the story as it went along. This really enhanced the story as it unfolded.
It was obvious in the performance, that the cast had worked very hard and the rapport between them was very strong. In particular. Ryan Standing, as Muddles, had great comic timing, and as well as his solo bits with the audience, interacted very well with Dame Dolly and Snow White. I loved Lee Knights’ Dame Dolly, great interaction with the audience and fine dancing in heels. Keira Neave, as Fairy, lit up the stage every time she came on, smiling throughout, a very enchanting performance. In the lead role, Lucy Hunt, was a perfect Snow White, kind, gentle, innocent, and vulnerable. Cherie Wild, as the Wicked Queen Lucrecia, got evermore evil as the plot went on, a very strong performance. I also enjoyed Rebecca Ludman as The Spirit of the Mirror, with a dry sense of humour, such as telling the audience she had to bring on her own mirror for every scene. Lee Gibbons as Ramsbottom had a touch of a Dickensian character in his portrayal, and Teejay Standing as Prince Alexi of Ruritania was suitably noble in his characterisation.
I awaited in anticipation for the arrival of the 7 Dwarves, as the youth section of the Dereham Theatre Company joined the adults. Not to be outdone, from their opening dance number, through to each individual character, the Dwarves almost stole the show. They never switched off acting throughout when onstage, and the dancing was excellent. Wren Knights as Brainy, Evie Powell as Smiley, Jasmine Robinson as Dozy, Marcia Scott as Bumbly, Liberty Brown as Cranky, Bradley Holmes as Sniffy, and Orson Knights as Dippy, worked so well together as a team, and their interactions with Snow White were truly heartwarming.
There are too many highlights to mention in this panto, but one that I thought was particularly clever was when Snow White said goodbye to her toys, the Dance Team, each playing a toy, entering Snow White’s bedroom from a wardrobe, dancing and waving goodbye to Snow White, a touch of Toy Story in this moment and a delight to watch.
The choreography by Danielle Standing was truly outstanding and so imaginative in this production, and this culminated in the whole company performing a superbly drilled finale.
Finally, huge congratulations to Director Karen Bates. Being her Directorial debut, it was clear that so much work had gone into this panto, and it was a joy to watch such a high-class production.
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