Snow White and the Seven Christmas Elves

Snow White and the Seven Christmas Elves
By Alex Jackson. Directed by Maria Passalacqua. Roxy Lane Theatre, Maylands, WA. Nov 27-Dec 12, 2021

Snow White and the Seven Christmas Elves is traditional British pantomime, with modern sensibilities. Starring a large enthusiastic cast, its run includes plenty of family friendly matinees.

Featuring lots of bright costumes (Celeste Lopez and Christine Ellis), it plays on a colourful multi-locale set (designed by director Maria Passalacqua). At the opening matinee this production felt a little undercooked, with a few dropped lines and scene changes that were on the slow side, but there was plenty to like in this holiday offering.

Cora Lacey is a picture-perfect Snow White, with a mature singing voice. A brightly dressed septet play the sweetly named elves - Madi Kate as Stocking, leads the team well, Carolena Shaw plays grumpy Grinch, Callum Hunter is fun as jokester Cracker, Abbeyley Cole plays allergy-prone Dusty, Barbara Mortimer snuggles up to sleep as Cosy, while Alannah Gillis and Anya Peterson dance with flair as Jangle and Twinkle.

We have the pleasure of two Fairy Godmothers in this pantomime. Jennifer Lilley is mature and motherly Fairy Jinglebell - her exit skips are a highlight, while Ellie Skinner brings a beautiful voice to fairy-in-training Fairy Frosting.

Teale Harrison makes a welcome return to the stage, working the audience well as Harry Bush, and showing some lovely comic flair. Craig Nicholls, as Holly Bush, is an elaborately frocked, bearded dame who is fun, although I felt his switching between falsetto and baritone was a gag that didn’t play well after the first time.

Every pantomime needs some villains. Sharon Thomas is an imposing and just-frightening-enough Evil Queen. Noel Abdul-Hanif makes a very impressive community theatre debut as the highly animated Humbug - with Greg Hopson and Christine Ellis bumbling well as the incompetent guards Brussel and Sprout.

Relative newcomer Brodie Atkinson brings charm to Prince Noel. Jim Chantry plays Father Christmas - who is also the Magic Mirror - which is a little confusing. Luke Heath and Guiseppina Mammone complete the cast.

There are some lovely local and topical gags, and audience interaction in encouraged

A lovely choice of show to usher in the holiday season, Snow White and the Seven Christmas Elves is a fun little production.

Kimberley Shaw

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