Snow White and the Seven Tradies: the pantomime

Just when you have seen about every version of the Snow White ,story along comes another one. But this version, written and directed by Cath Willacy, is a cracker!

The seven dwarfs have been retired and in their place come seven tradies who spend a lot of time dancing, singing and handling tools but doing very little work. But without Indiana Jones (Chippy), Lila Bordujenko (Sparky), Caden Sintome (Bricky), Emrys Birkbeck-McKay (Lou), Oberon Birbeck-McKay (Gofer), Alice Macdonald (Arty) and Michelle Andrews (Noodles), Snow White would be toast.

Performed on a minimalist set the whole show is a feast of well-known songs and smart, witty comedy. Excellent backdrop scenery and stage lighting compliments each scene, with the scene changes delivered in the blink of an eye. 

As Snow White, Pyper Kingston-Bull is Snow White. She dominates the stage in her scenes and acts smoothly with the brilliant comedy delivered by pantomime veteran Billy Bogues as Muddles. Bella Franze comfortably plays the Prince who wins the heart of Snow White. This is a good performance by Bella who has never been in a pantomime before.

The baddy of the show is Queen Malice, the evil queen. Without the evil queen we have no plot and none could better panto veteran Alex Swanston in that role. Swanston gives a splendid performance dressed in about an evil a get up as is possible to wear. The boos and the jeers come thick and fast as ‘she’ plots and schemes to get rid of Snow White, who competes with the queen for the title of the fairest of them all.

Informing the queen that she is not the fairest in the land is Violet Palmer as the Magic Mirror in another top performance from a stage newcomer. Kevin Woodward, as a bird in the forest, also deserves a special mention, particularly as he delivers the funniest line in the panto.

To increase the already white hot tension Willacy has introduced an intrepid news reporter called Faye King, who dramatically presents Breaking News when none is breaking of a potential cyclone called Donald. King, who comes in and out of the panto with dramatic news that seems to be non-dramatic, is brilliantly played by Sophie Johnson who could make a decent living taking the micky out of pretentious news reporters.  Sophie’s appearances were highly hilarious and one of the many highlights of the panto.

Last of all we had an incredible chorus of enthusiastic and talented performers who dazzled the audience with well-known songs that somehow fitted the plot.

In the end of course the tradies save Snow White, the Prince proposes and the chorus, who have been the backbone of the whole production, give the show a terrific finale.

To produce a show of this quality the cast were assisted and guided by a very talented backstage team that consisted of Cath Willacy (script and direction), Cathy Knight (musical director), Jordann Grant (choreographer) and Laura Jones (musical director).

Ken Cotterill

Photograph by Frontrow Foto