Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Panto is just the thing for a cold evening and there were plenty of laughs in this production to warm us up.  We were a small evening audience after a much larger one for the preceding matinee but we managed to laugh, boo, and hiss in all the right places.

The wicked Queen Griselda opened the proceedings so we knew right at the start that she intended to do away with the lovely Snow White who was destined to become Queen on her eighteenth birthday which was going to happen very soon.  Zara Mae-Belcher gave a truly wicked performance which afforded many boos at her every appearance.

All the usual and much loved panto characters were there.  Wendy Stubbs as Snow White shone with loveliness and Chris Findlay-Geer gave a very comedic performance as Handy Andy who really loved Snow White.

Andy Napier played Dame Dolly with true panache and Jessica Rose Hack and Yana Mason were the comedy duo of Wormwood and Splinter, giving us plenty of laughs.

Charisse Goddard portrayed Fairy Flora in great style and the handsome Prince Rupert was played by Tristan Goddard so we knew that between them everything would turn out as it should.

The ensemble as village folk who turned into Dwarfs (full sized!) added much to the proceedings as did the lovely dancers:  Amy Baker, Mo Munday and Imogen Shepard.

So much work apart from the cast on stage takes place to put on this sort of production – the set was ideal, designed by Geoff Baker who also wrote and directed the panto.  Everyone was costumed beautifully thanks to the Wardrobe Team and all the other jobs that had to be done were carried out really well.  As mentioned in the colourful programme, Haven Players were originally formed in 1969. With many pantos under their belt since then, we look forward to many more in the coming years.

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