Pantomine’s a royally entertaining night out
If you want to know how much of a princess Snow White really was, get along to the Waipawa M&D production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, opening this Friday at the CHB Municipal Theatre.
And as for the Queen . . . the Evil Queen . . . was she really that evil? Or just misunderstood?
I’m not telling.
I went along to see Snow White with my Junior Reviewer, Jhasper, aged 12. He’s a longtime fan of pantomime and was very eager to see this one.
The opening number set the scene for a great evening’s entertainment: Talented children, beautifully costumed and with beaming smiles. There are 24 actors under the age of 13, many of them onstage for the first time.
Judging from their genuine smiles and visible enjoyment, it won’t be their last time onstage – and just as well too as there are some bright young stars among them.
The giggles start right from the intro, delivered by the bright and sparkly “Snowettes” whose comic lines are delivered with great timing. The trio is the perfect foil for the darkclad and looming Queen – The Evil
Queen – played with a suitably malevolent vibe by Lucy Graham.
The mirror though – the magical talking mirror – Daniel Hapi has a voice like chocolate, and his eyebrows are so eloquent they could nearly hold the scene themselves. He’s a complete treat throughout, and just wait till you hear him sing.
The storyline is crisp and clear and allows for plenty of humour and more than a few jabs and jibes at road cones and the price of eggs. Enter, stage right, Nanny Spants. Nanny Spants is OTT with a little bit extra. She’s large, loud and colourful and under all those skirts she’s . . . David Berry, relishing every moment of the performance. Everyone needs a dose of Nanny Spants.
Nanny is trailed by her son, Lou Spants, as limp as Nanny is loud. He can’t even speak to his lifelong love . . . Enter stage left, Snow White and her bodyguard Stanley.
Snow White is radiant and Stanley is stuffy, but in their first scene little scene stealers are at work . . . the delightful younger actors quietly shopping at the market, in character and cute as buttons.
Snow White – senior – is a lovely piece of casting. She’s pretty and perky and bratty, with a gorgeous voice. She, Jemma Lee Young in real life, meets her Prince Freddy – Ben Berry, who we have seen grow up on these boards on this stage, gosh Ben how tall you’ve got, and so talented – and just wait till you hear their duet.
Romance ensues, and skullduggery, and singing, and adorable woodland creatures, and dancing. There are of course dwarves, oops, persons of small stature, full of character and fun.
When the young troupers get their groove on they don’t look like they’re doing a “number” at all. They look like they’re up there dancing for the sheer joy of it. Sure, the moves are crisp and choreographed but their grins are contagious.
This production is fun. The colours are bright, the music swoops from bright catchy numbers to stirring ballads that just wouldn’t work with a lesser cast. There’s scope to join in – boo, cheer, sing along.
It’s hard to pick a highlight. Nanny’s hats keep trying to steal every scene.
My Junior Reviewer Jhasper might have to pick. He thought the Queen – The Evil Queen – was hilarious, especially her tantrums. But he did spend the first half thinking he had toilet paper on his shoe, “because
The Evil Queen said I had!”
“I love the Prince, and Nanny! And Lou is funny. And the Mirror! The Mirror’s singing was just the best. And the dancing was cool, and that little kid dancing – he was so funny . . . ”
Jhasper – you’re no help at all. Let’s just tell everyone to go along and see for themselves: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, superbly written and directed by Helen Griffin, performed to perfection by the Waipawa M&D at the CHB Municipal Theatre from Friday, November 17. Tickets from Eventfinda or the CHB Municipal Theatre, Kenilworth St Waipawa.