Snow White

On arrival at Gargrave Village Hall, we were first greeted by an excellent programme designed by Anita and Alex Eccles. This set the tone for the afternoon. The hall was full of Rainbows and Brownies who are always a reliable test of a good pantomime. Suddenly the lights went down, there was atmospheric mood music and The Queen entered in a stunning costume. Laura Lipscombe embodied this role and totally convinced as the wicked step-mother of the fairy tale. The magic mirror played by Duncan Faulkner was really effective, especially in the first scene, flanked by gloomy curtains and with his face lit from below by an eerie red light and the Traitors theme tune. He reminded me of a machine at the fair which could tell your fortune and which always terrified me as a child.

Time for some goodness methinks, and out popped Anna Burke as our comedy fairy. She rhymed her explanation and we knew that Snow White had a protector for the future. The youngsters in the opening chorus were beautifully dressed with matching hair styles for the girls and an endearing level of concentration from the one boy in this scene. When Snow White (Isla Lottey) entered, she too was dressed to perfection and the show was underway.

Comedy arrived in the form of Muddles the jester, played with warmth and good humour by Jess Oakey. She brought lots of energy to the role and engaged the young audience right from the start. Neil Hellewell had hung up his various dresses this year as this was a pantomime without a dame. Instead, he took on the role of Herman the Queen’s henchman. This not-quite-a-baddy role suited him, and his pairing with Muddles worked well.

The handsome Prince Lorenzo was played by Olly Green. This was a brave performance for a young man and he stood tall and sang well in the part. I hope we will see more of him in future years. Olly and Isla had a tender duet to sing. This was a difficult song to sing to a backing track which provided no support for the vocal line, so very well done to them. Isla looked the part of Snow White and played the part with a suitable, sweet demeanour.

A return to evil and Laura Lipscombe revelled in being the Killer Queen. The ensemble looked less convinced. Cut to the seven small people who were really sweet in their equivalent roles as Prof, Cheeky, Blusher, Sniffly, Grumbly, Snoozy and Loopy. Their underground set was fantastic, indeed just one of many beautifully painted backgrounds. They were well rehearsed but I found their routine rather too long. Loopy in the safe added some great comedy to the delight of the Brownies. Congratulations to Emma Berry, Romey Dearlove, Thea Lipscombe, Bea Green, Martha Duggan, Anna belle Claxton and Ted Lottey who all embraced their individual characteristics throughout.

There were some very original ideas for choreography and I enjoyed the dancing spooks and the bunnies in their great costumes.  Indeed, all the costumes were of excellent quality and the production values for this village panto were exceptionally high. This supported adults and children alike to give their best performances.

The whole cast set off through the woods to try to discover the lost Snow White and ultimately, after a near death experience, a kiss from Prince Lorenzo was enough to give us our happy ending. With ghosts and goolies along the way, and every opportunity taken for drama or comedy, the Brownies had a great time.

A village pantomime comes with its own very special charm but this, Gargrave’s sixty-third pantomime shows that it can have high standards too. Congratulations to all the backstage team, but especially to director Anita Eccles, her assistant Paul Smith, choreographer Laura Lipscombe and all the behind-the-scenes team who allow the show to run on oiled wheels. I hope the village fully appreciates all your hard work.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.