Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

NADOS returned to the stage with their annual pantomime. This year was the classic, ‘Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs’, directed by Vicky Dilworth. The general direction from Vicky was good, with good blocking and stage positioning. It was clear that a lot of work had been done with each cast member to develop their individual characters. Each actor knew what their role was in the pantomime genre and understood what their character should be like. It was a great idea having some of the characters enter through the auditorium, particularly the dame, which allowed audience interaction that is so important to pantomime. The set was very good. The magic mirror was cleverly done, and the cottage was well constructed. This piece of set was utilised well by the cast, with a trapdoor to the upstairs that was used well to further enhance the comedy. Costumes were very good throughout, and suited each character. The dame had a wide range of outrageous costumes, which were pleasing to the eye.

The musical director was Barry Dilworth. There was a great variety of songs chosen, with Barry rewriting the lyrics for them, which was very impressive. The cast performed to backing tracks, and did very well with this. Barry also wrote the Dwarfs’ song, which was a catchy little number.

The choreographer for ‘Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs’ was Scarlet Livesey. The routines were good, and performed well by the cast. Scarlet had a good understanding of the what the cast could achieve, creating choreography that was suitable for all.

The technical elements were generally good throughout. The backing tracks were just a touch to loud, with some of the singing being hard to hear. The lighting was good throughout, helping to distinguish locations.

Grace Fisher played Snow White. This was a strong performance from Grace, who made a great pantomime princess. She was sweet and sincere, and worked well with the rest of the cast, particularly the dwarfs.

Harry Thompson played the principal boy, Prince Frederick. There was a campness to Harry’s portrayal that worked well for the character, and made it funny. There was a lovely relationship developed with Grace as Snow White.

Andrew Marsh gave a masterclass performance as the dame – this year as Dolly Dumpling. Andrew had the audience in the palm of his hands, and interacted with them so well. The ad-libs throughout were great, as close to the knuckle as you can get! Andrew was totally at ease as the dame, which made his performance so enjoyable.

Neeve Dilworth did well as the comic lead, Danny Dumpling. There was an excellent relationship developed with Andrew – a great double-act. Neeve had an excellent rapport with the audience, getting them onside from the outset.

Leanne Barnes relished the boos as the pantomime villain, Queen Grimelza. A very good performance from Leanne, who was in character throughout. She was able to display a great vocal as well.

What a delightful cameo role from Jo Lee as Speak True, the magic mirror! The entire characterisation from costume to physicality to accent was spot on – absolutely hilarious!

You cannot fault Matthew Swann’s commitment at Oswald, Queen Grimelza’s right-hand man. He was always in character, particularly when he was transformed into a crow! He worked well with Leanne, creating a good partnership.

Scarlet Livesey and Emma Benson worked well together as Fairy Goodheart and Wonderwings respectively. They both helped to tell the story well, being a good link with the audience.

Jon Kennedy and Scarlett Harrison created a good double act as Bogwart and Stinkwart. Great characterisation from both, and they both added to the humour of the pantomime.

Phoenix Roberts (TD), Lily Jaundrill (Grouchy), Bridget Harrison (Snoozy), Charlotte Cook (Sniffly), Scarlet Wardrop (Cheerful), Mollie Prior (Dozy), Lucy Wilkinson (Disney) and Sam Shackleton (Tiny) created a cohesive unit as the Dwarfs. Each had developed individual characters, which was great to see. It was an inspired choice having Sam play Tiny, and the storyline about where he came from was nicely wrapped up at the end of the pantomime.

The ensemble had a good mix of ages from the Nippers to the adults. They all appeared confident and delivered the ensemble numbers well.

Overall, this was a good production. The reworked songs were very clever, the set was good (particularly the cottage), and there were some great performances.

A big thank you to everyone at NADOS for their kind invite and hospitality.

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