Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

I was very happy to attend the latest pantomime from Ribchester Amateur Theatrical Society (RATS, henceforth!) on Saturday 25th January, at Ribchester Village Hall.

Snow White, a kind and beautiful princess, is forced to flee her home when her jealous stepmother, the Evil Queen, plots to have her killed. Taking refuge in the forest, she befriends seven dwarfs who offer her shelter. The Queen disguises herself to trick Snow White into eating a poisoned apple, sending her into a deep sleep - only to be awakened by the kiss of a prince, leading to the Queen’s downfall and a traditional happy ending.

This production was fun, funny and full of life—the audience thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Direction by Rebecca Soper was well thought out and designed to make the most of a very modest stage (which she did most successfully). Choreography by Katy Foy fit the bill perfectly and helped to create the sense of fun that the production (and audience!) demanded. The cast really went for it with the choreography and gave a very solid account of themselves.

The set, designed by John Royle, Jenny Berry and Jim Green, gave the cast a wonderful playground on which to ply their trade. Bright, colourful and so very panto! Likewise, costumes by Barbara Bolton, Christine Dixon and Michelle Cummings were excellent throughout.

The titular character was portrayed by Janette Mortimer, who clearly had a lot of fun in the role. She led the show with confidence and bounced off the other characters beautifully. Florrie Billington, as the Prince, found similar success in her role and added a good deal to proceedings.

As the dastardly Queen Morgana, Hannah Murray gave a deliciously wicked performance and quite rightly attracted a tidal wave of boos and hisses—lovely work. Her regular scene partner, The Mirror, was played with gravitas and some scenic ingenuity by Julie Hesketh, who brought a certain regality to her performance.

Comic relief was delivered by a quartet of talented performers—Finlay Hart (Muddles), Lisa Riley (Ramsbottom), Spik (Sophia Watkinson-Barnes) and Span (Scarlett Bateman)—all of whom added to the very welcome chaos and liveliness of the panto. The audience loved them.

Chief agent of chaos, Nurse Nelly, was played by Lisa Lloyd who, by almost every measure, stole the show. Incredible costumes, wacky make-up and some very naughty dialogue combined to create a perfect panto dame. She fixed her sights on an audience member named Richard and made sure he hoped the ground would swallow him up every time she appeared—delightful stuff!

Our narrator throughout the show was Rebecca Bradshaw, playing Fairy Winehouse. I’ve never seen this particular interpretation of the fairy godmother/famously hedonistic pop star before, and found her to be both talented and refreshing. Lots of fun and definitely not your traditional narrator.

The principal cast were ably supported by a large and talented ensemble of all ages, all of whom gave the performance their all and heaped fun and life onto the stage. Primarily, the dwarfs themselves were played by children, each responsible for moments of high comedy which the assembled audience lapped up—cuteness overload and some talented young performers to boot!

There was a sense, whilst watching Snow White, that this was a community which loves to pull together and share these moments of fun and fellowship. Generations of local people were involved in the production, with many more friends and relatives cheering them on from the auditorium. The panto was well put together and huge fun for everyone—my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the show and, like many audience members, went home with big grins on our faces.

Well done to all at Ribchester Amateur Theatrical Society, and good luck with whatever comes next.

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