Elegance Productions did an excellent job putting Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs on stage. Having previously performed at Gateacre Theatre, the pantomime was performed at a different venue in the city centre of Liverpool, which gave local families the opportunity to see the pantomime with their children closer to home. The production company, the cast and crew who did this show offered their services for free in order to raise money for under-privileged girls at Blackburne House.
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs was directed by Kerry Williams, whose vision was clearly demonstrated on the stage with the show. Her direction was tight, but controlled. Although there was a large cast, the choreography was really good and gave the younger actors the opportunity to shine and perform a solo spot performance each.
Kerry Williams also wrote the pantomime, whilst Louise Littler was the Script Supervisor. The dialogue and banter was a joy, plus there were a lot of current and tropical references mentioned too. The one-liners and funny incidents came thick and fast throughout the show. There were an array of jokes for the children, but some for the adults as well. The adult jokes did go straight over the children’s heads. Additionally, Williams did an incredible job incorporating her roles as director and writer whilst also playing Betsy in the show too.
The cast of Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs consisted of Hannah Jenkins in the principle role of Snow White, was joined by Eugene Byrne as Prince Truelove, Lisa Crockett as Queen Tattiana, Benji Fry as Herbie, The Huntsman, Kerry Williams as Betsy and Lilli Schwann as Fairy Fancy. Finally, no pantomime would not complete without the clown, Ginger Jeff, played by John May, The Hairy Fairy portrayed by Paul St German and by means not least the Dame, Anthony Woodward as Naughty Nora. There was an ensemble of young performers, who played the Seven Dwarfs. I thought it was a lovely idea getting the youngsters involved and giving them a platform to showcase their talents.
For those who do not know how the timeless, classic pantomime, Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs goes, well the narrative was centred around Snow White on her quest to find true love, which did not run smoothly. We were majestically transported to the world of Fairy Bottom, where fantasties and dreams came true. Snow White is very popular and beautiful, which Queen Tattiana absolutely despises. She placed several obstacles in Snow White’s way in finding true love. Prince Truelove takes an instant shine to Snow White and goes about wooing her the best way he can. However, Queen Tattiana has other ideas about stopping the path of true love. Ginger Jeff, Hairy Fairy and Naughty Nora provided a lot of comedy to keep the audience amused and entertained throughout the pantomime. The chemistry and banter just bounced off each other and appeared effectlessly and flawless.
The acting was of a good standard and all the actors portrayed their given roles well. The set design was simplified, but effective and practical. The setting did provide a sense of the characters' surroundings. The costumes were excellent, an eye for detail was definitely observed.
Hollie Bentley did an excellent job on the technical aspects of lighting, sound and SFX. The set was extremely bright and well lit. I particularly like the concept of the white curtains with lights draped all over them, which added additional brightness and conveyed the Christmas period incredibly well. The voiceovers worked really well and created an eerie atmosphere for the characters in certain situations. Sound was great as all dialogue could be heard. The sound effects were good too.
There was a lot of Christmas songs either heard through the speakers or the cast were singing them. When the 80’s classic, Raining Men was performed, it was really funny to watch and provided more comedy to the show. Bliss Bentley, one of the younger performers did a solo spot of singing, which the audience enjoyed.
I would recommend families with children of all ages to come and see this traditional pantomime favourite. It has everything you would expect in a typical pantomime such as drama, emotion, empathy all rolled into a good, solid story littered with interesting, funny characters. I really hope this pantomime gets to tour more venues and attract a wider audience.
Reviewer - Mark Cooper
on - 14/12/19
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