Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Talk about starting with a bang, the cast of this excellent scripted pantomime by Ben Crocker, obviously set out to impress and they did! Lively and bright, the opening number "Happy" set the scene in voice and name. ’Baddies’ were just that, Queen Carligua and Black Wing spat evil with every word, the audience rising vocally with the obligatory boo’s to every goad! An excellent pairing, which could give rise to ‘who’s the baddie’. Goodies were sugar sweet, providing the crystal clear contrast between right and wrong, taken heed no doubt by the multitude of excited children attending. Barry Lister as Dolly Dumpling was a true ‘King’ of the Dames, his rapport with the audience started the moment he walked on stage. Exquisitely dressed (for a dame) with an excellent well-dressed wig, he worked the stage like the trouper he is. Lovely Snow White finally got her elegant Prince Frederick despite the usual unsuccessful thwarts by comical Bogwort and Stinkwort, and what a delightful couple they made, Snow White and the Prince, I hasten to add!

This production paced along at a cracking pace, it was bright and colourful with a creative set, designed and constructed on site. The amount of effort put into the visual aspect of the show was very obvious; a high standard was achieved with a particularly delightful woodland setting, in which nestled a sweet little fold out cottage inhabited by a very confident young troupe of dwarfs. Their characters bubbled as they worked, their lines clearly heard. Lighting complimented the finer set details and the skilful application of make-up, bringing each character to life. All cast presented as resplendent in an excellent choice of stylish costumes and accessories. It was rather a shame to see scene changes blacked out, it dated what was otherwise a modern feel pantomime.

Songs were selected with thought, modern, lively and well suited to the able character voices and story. Helped along by a sure footed three piece band, they linked the action without disrupting the flow. There were times when chorus sounded thin but this was well compensated by the abundance of animation cast put into their performance.

The choreography was impressive and stood out from the other strong features of the show. It was fresh, edgy and beautifully moved. The young, woodland animal ballet displayed lovely balletic moves with expressive hands it was a joy to see, as was the energetic finale which sent the audience home with a smile on their face and a spring in their step.

This was family entertainment at its best; it was lively, colourful and had something for everyone.

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