Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White was popular this year, I had seen a version in Dereham the previous day, and the previous week in Wisbech. It’s interesting how many different variations there are and the Directors take on how the show runs. Stamford Pantomime Players were no different in giving a different opening slant, as the curtains opened on the Mirror Room we were presented with a full chorus of Cowboys/girls singing Texas Hold ‘Em. This was an entertaining and surreal opening number (considering the show’s title), but well sung and choregraphed with the youngsters holding places and movement pretty well in step.

What I quite liked about this production was that although the large chorus was all youngsters there was three dance groups, Junior, Intermediate and Senior dancers who each had their own independent dance routines and sequences. I was particularly struck by the quality of the Senior Dancers with their numbers ‘The Promise’, Born This Way’ and ‘Once Upon a December’.

We were quickly introduced to the adult principals, Charlotte as the Spirit of the Mirror also doubled as Bertie, she gave us a glittery and silver mirror with good clear dialogue as she enjoyed stepping into and away from the mirror which was permanently placed down stage left. In the mirror she could be clearly seen, but this also became a dark reflective mirror when she had stepped out. As both characters she worked well with her fellow cast members and had two good numbers with ‘The Lazy Song’ and ‘On Top of the World’, a good lively role. I shouldn’t really say this but Nicola quite suited the role of the Wicked Queen, a different type of role for her which she seemed to relish, sweeping around the stage and snarling at the audience, a good sequence with the senior dancers in ‘Born this Way’ and an entertaining relationship with the Harry the Huntsman who was madly in love with Snow White. Harry was well played by Poppy B and interacted well with Dani as Snow White, the two of them having two well sung duets, one with the senior dance troupe ‘The Promise’ and one with the intermediate troupe ‘One Kiss’. Both actresses performed their roles well and Dani sounded and looked the part of Snow White in her costume. There was an energetic rendition of ‘The Boy does Nothing’ and she had a nice solo with ‘Because of You’.

Every pantomime must have a dame and here we had Kevin as Old Ma Bumble with the traditional outrageous costumes and wigs, these were carried off very well by Kevin making the most of his lines and gags and leading numbers with the dwarfs ‘Consider Yourself’ and the big number ‘I’m so Excited’. The Dame carries a lot of expectations and Kevin carried this off well assisted by Charlotte and the at times by the hapless Billy Botchit and Lenny Leggit, respectively Flo and Carrie. This duo had the task of being the butt of jokes and being entertainingly hopeless, the repartee flowed, but not I felt, always as quickly as desired as I thought the audience didn’t warm to their antics (but this might just have been me). There were cameos from Jonathan as King Cuthbert and Anna as The Old Hag. The switch between The Old Hag and the Queen was very imaginatively done with the swirling, rotating dance, a little girl sat next to me and said to her Mum ‘how did they do that?’ the answer was one word, Magic. Finally, we had the dwarfs – Fred, Hippy, Zippy, Dippy, Sarky, Clumsy and Junior, respectively Millie, Olivia, Poppy S, Hannah, Nieve, Leo and Nancy. These seven played their roles well, being well drilled and giving an entertaining ‘Consider Yourself’ as well as ‘I’m so Excited’.

The music for the show was of a great quality, good to have live music with the small band led by Hannah Stewart, who as musical director was, I presume responsible for the quality of the singing throughout. This was a lively entertaining show throughout, great audience participation especially looking after the giant soft toy panda, neatly switched for a life size panda (thanks Justine). There were great costumes for all the cast, even 40 odd cowboy hats in the opening, lovely and sparkly for Bertie, dramatic for the Queen, traditional green for the Huntsman and good variety for the Dame, Billy and Lenny. All the chorus and dancers were well dressed. Lighting and sound were good, there were good cloths and plenty of space. The choreography and direction were such that the stage never seemed over crowded even in the opening number, the closing of Act 1 and the grand finale. The back stage crew as ever were efficient with smooth scene changes. So well done to all especially first-time directors’ mother and son Justine and Niall.

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