The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen is a new pantomime, based on the classic tale by Han Christian Anderson, which is a story of good versus evil and the power of love. Following on from the success of Dick Turpin, writer Kei Bailey has taken elements of this traditional story and turned it into a hilarious family panto adding some new comedy characters, including a traditional dame and a very talkative crow.  I was invited to review the show on its opening night and was delighted with the result.   

Directed by Glen Barker, Co-Director George Statham and produced by David Whipps (in his debut with Heckington Players) this is true community production with team work at its heart.  This is Glen’s second time directing a panto and the slickness of this production is testament to all the hard work and dedication.  Glen and his team have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, pulling the show together from script to stage, and their commitment to a shared vision is supported by an enthusiastic stage crew and talented cast. 

Our story is told by Fairy Sunbeam.  Many years ago, a sorcerer creates an enchanted ice mirror.  However, an evil hobgoblin infects the mirror with a curse to corrupt it into reflecting only hate and ugliness.  The sorcerer, fearing the mirrors power, shatters the mirror and scatters the pieces across the land.  This effect was cleverly executed using a host of cloaked minions who held aloft individual pieces of the mirror like a shiny jigsaw puzzle.

The evil Snow Queen Cryogenica appears, and she lives up to her glacial name.  Wearing a snowflake dress, white wig and glittery icy make up, she crackles with icy malice wielding a wand made from a twisted icicle. Her sidekick, Jack Frost, has finally found an icy shard of the legendary mirror and together, they hatch an evil plan to find the kindest person in the kingdom and freeze their heart. 

Next, we meet the villagers who live in the sunny town of Tottering on the Brink (Joseph Gilliard, Jules Jones, Sue Fletcher, Sue Porter, Amanda Dawson and Helen Jones), including Gerda Merryweather and a host of happy villagers. We also meet Kay Merryweather, Gerda’s sweet-natured, wildlife loving sister who adores rescuing animals, and Aunty Prudence Puddledub, who runs the local ice cream parlour with her nephew Jamie Dodger.

More characters appear including a very forth-right Royal Guard Captain Karina Keen and the dishevelled Sergeant Grubb who both protect Prince Frederick.  The prince has a definite soft spot for Gerda Merryweather, but Gerda has other ideas however and rebuffs the pretentious prince’s proposal saying she is devoted to her sister.

Cryogenica spots kindly Kay, soothing an injured pigeon, and blows some powered mirror shard into her eyes. Kay’s heart is instantly frozen, and she is whisked away to the Snow Queen’s icy palace to the horror of Gerda and the villagers.  The once happy, sunny village is cursed to eternal winter. 

Light relief is provided by an upbeat Jamie and Auntie Pru, who delivers a slick routine using groceries to tell a story requiring quick thinking and perfect comic timing.  I loved the use of the Noda bags for the shopping and a routine with a malfunctioning ice cream machine complete with sound effects and squirting shaving foam. 

Gerda is a feisty independent heroine, and she has made up her mind to rescue her sister single-handedly, and heads into the forest where she meets Cora a crow who agrees to help her in her quest. 

Back at the ice palace, Jack Frost has contacted an employment agency to recruit some more ruthless henchmen to work for the Snow Queen, including the macho Bruiser Brothers (Jules Jones and Amanda Dawson sporting some very convincing tattoos) and a very confused Odd Bob who lives up to his name!

So, the stage is set for a dramatic rescue - but will our heroes save Kay from her icy doom or will Cryogenica succeed in her plan to condemn the whole kingdom to a frosty fate?

Every member of the cast worked wonderfully together to create this inspired twist on a familiar story. The villagers were used as minions and evil sidekicks incorporating some slick choreography created by Rachel Rowett.  Kim Sands played the delightfully winsome Fairy Sunbeam, and I was impressed with her vocals.  Kelly Anderson played gormless Odd Bob with a distant air of confusion which was showcased in a witty homage to Danny Kaye’s Court Jester. I loved her spots and blackened teeth!

Steve Watkins was very good as the laid-back Jack Frost clearly scared of the Snow Queen’s powers, but still serving as her loyal sidekick. I especially enjoyed the scene with Odd Bob as he tried to in vain to train this new employee executing a tongue twisting montage with apparent ease. 

Rachel Rowett was good as the prim and proper stickler for efficiency and etiquette, Captain Karina Keen, especially in her double act with Sergeant Grubb where she acted as the straight woman to his many punchlines.  Rachel also demonstrated excellent vocals in her solo.   David O’Brien played the bumbling sidekick Sergeant Grubb with deadpan comic timing and expert delivery. I’ll never forget his joke about his deceased hamster Gav who died drinking a well-known indigestion remedy… 

Harry Fiddler played the pompous, spoilt wonderfully camp Frederick, not as a villain, but with designs on Gerda determined to impress her with his bravery and win her heart, only to be rejected in favour of sisterly love.

Newcomer Julie Fulcher, played the Snow Queen Cryogenica with gravitas and poise, bringing a villainess to the story with no redeeming qualities.  I was very impressed with Julie’s vocals and her mesmerising rendition of ‘I put a Spell on You’ held the audience in her icy thrall.  Julie acted with a powerful stillness, communicating her intentions with her eyes and a flick of her beautifully polished nails.  

Jo Warrick was a triumph as the spiky unpredictable crow Cora wearing aviator goggles and wicked look in her eye, she lit up the stage with her manic delivery of crow jokes and crazy mannerisms.

Hannah Priestley was the perfect leading lady.  No damsel in distress, she saw through the prince’s pretentiousness and put her sister’s welfare first.  Hannah is always acting and her facial expressions tell you just how she is feeling.  Her scenes with Cora crow were hilarious especially when she had a sobbing breakdown over her bad crow jokes showing a well-rounded character not afraid to step away from a traditional saccharine sweet female role.  Hannah also has wonderful vocals and expertly led the choreography.

Special mention to Lois-Johnson Smith, as the sweet-natured Kay, for her stoic and very disturbing stare which she held unwaveringly despite the chaos surrounding her. 

Finally, to the comedy double act which provided the beating heart of the show.  Kei Bailey has created a new persona in Auntie Prudence Puddledub.  With his hilarious malapropisms and eleven outrageous themed outfits, Kei was wonderful keeping the audience on its toes with well-timed repartee and a host of new jokes.  I loved his Claudia Winkleman outfit complete with long black fringe in his homage to The Traitors.  His nephew, played by Aaron Pettican, delivered his lines with a cheeky knowing look at the audience never taking himself too seriously.  Together they performed a very surreal ventriloquist routine featuring a 12-foot dummy and a gin-drinking Aunty Prudence getting progressively more drunk.  Kei and Aaron showed their mutual trust in each other as they ad-libbed and ribbed each other to the obvious delight of the audience.  

The set was beautifully themed with a glow in the dark effect used for the ice palace which showed up during the blackout and the whole set was painted and decorated with shades of blue and silver to create the Snow Queen’s icy domain.  The ice cream parlour was a simple back drop with a working machine incorporating a special effect of squirting shaving foam.  Swirling dry ice effects and a snow machine also added to the icy ambience.  Improved staging additions, to both sides of the stage, provided additional entrances and exits for the cast and was decorated to blend in with the set design. Lighting and sound effects were used well such as cracking ice sound effects and blue and green atmospheric lighting.

Costumes (Marie Jones & Elaine Wilson), make up and wigs (Katie Kalo who also assisted Kei with his many costume changes and assisted with one of his costumes) were stunning especially the Snow Queen, whose glittery make-up added to her icy demeanour, and Kei’s wardrobe of frocks and accessories.  I loved the appliqued jammie dodgers on Jamie’s dungarees and Auntie Prudence’s Neapolitan themed crinoline, complete with strategically positioned ice cones and wafer cone hat with dripping ice cream. 

Well done to every single person involved in bringing this wonderful production to life including the unseen army of people, silently working behind the scenes to produce lighting, sound, props and costumes, so this slick presentation had all the polish of a professional panto.  As always, it was a pleasure to meet Glen and the cast after the show.  How the heck are Heckington Players going to top this icy confection?  Well, we’ll have to wait and see then, won’t we? 

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