Snow White

Our Lady Star of the Sea’s pantomime Snow White by Leo Appleton and Rob Fearn offered a true community-theatre experience, with a large, multi-generational cast clearly enjoying themselves on stage. It was nice to see writer and society chairman Leo Appleton also stepping into the classic Dame role as Nurse Edith, bringing his own style of humour and a few jokes that sailed over the children’s heads but landed very well with the adults.

Phil Thomas’s direction was strong, especially given the size of the company and the relatively small stage. The show flowed well, with scenes moving cleanly from one to the next and the ensemble handled with confidence. Musical Director Pauline Hardie, assisted by Angie Strickland, assembled a capable band (Angie Strickland, Christian Moss, Amanda Gill, Len Hampson and Yvonne Smedley) whose live playing added a lot of energy and warmth to the evening.

Choreography by Amy Appleton and Sarah Cosgrove was well judged and spaced throughout the show, keeping the energy up without feeling repetitive. Stage Manager Darren Thornton and his crew worked efficiently, with scene changes that were quick and slick. The set, designed by Leo Appleton, John Gill and Phil Thomas, was simple: decorated curtains on the rails, tabs and borders were enhanced with added texture, creating an effective finish. These surfaces also gave Lighting Operator Annie Follett plenty of visual interest to work with, and she made the most of it. Her lighting was effective, using colour and texture to shape the space and build atmosphere. 

Costumes by Jeanette Appleton and Marie Alty were creative and suited the characters well. The Stepmother, Pauline Hardie, was appropriately evil without being too frightening, which is important given how many young and vocal children were in the audience. She coped admirably with constant heckling, staying in character and using it to her advantage. 

The magic mirror deserves a special mention for its simple yet ingenious design. The internal lighting within the box framing the face and hands was particularly effective, with well-judged colour changes reflecting the mirror’s mood. John Gill played this role with confidence and a sense of fun. The ‘Magnificent Seven’, all played by adults, were witty and charming, each creating a distinct character clearly rooted in the traditional fairy tale. The trio of Gary, Larry and Harris, played by Richie Reed, Toby Cosgrove and Lyndsey Heron, had great chemistry and were a strong comic team; they also led the end-of-show singalong with good control of the audience.

The main area that would benefit from development is sound. The boundary microphones didn’t pick up the cast consistently; performers had to be very close to be heard, which resulted in uneven levels. With the band positioned front-right some dialogue and lyrics were hard to catch when they were playing underneath. In Act II the Stepmother sang a solo on a headset microphone, the only time a headset was used, which felt odd in contrast to the rest of the show. Either several principal performers need headsets, or none do. Improving the boundary mics and considering adding hanging condensers/choir mics above the stage would make a huge difference in clarity. One moment that highlighted this was Snow White’s solo: she has a lovely voice but was almost drowned out by the excited children responding (very loudly!) to the puppet animals appearing around the stage.

Across such a large cast it isn’t possible to mention everyone, but there were no weak links on stage, and everyone contributed to the overall effect. Standout performers included Mia Wood as the Prince, who had excellent stage presence and a natural ease on stage, and Elise Heron playing Snow White, who never faltered on her lines and held the stage with confidence throughout. If both continue performing, they have very promising futures. Overall, this Snow White was a genuine community pantomime in the best sense, several generations sharing a stage and creating an afternoon full of laughter, colour and shared tradition. Pantomime remains one of the most beloved forms of theatre in this country, and it is heartening to see Our Lady Star of the Sea keeping that tradition alive with such enthusiasm and commitment.

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