The days are getting hotter, houses are being decorated with bright displays, advent calendars are being stocked with chocolate: this must mean Christmas is on its way, and with it, much to the delight of us theatre folk, the pantomime season is in full swing. Tea Tree Players continue their beloved tradition of presenting their annual pantomime, bringing together their young up-and-comers and seasoned veterans, this time taking on the classic tale of Snow White.
Director Samuel Creighton has put together an entertaining production that doesn’t hold back from poking a bit of fun at the audience, who readily welcomed this and even returned fire a few times. Though the pace lagged at times, Joshua Dixon’s script provided many opportunities for some classic pantomime gags and a multitude of hilarious local references which the cast made full use of.
The comedy was led by Damon Hill as Dame Fritzi Fruitella, who nailed the flirtatious and bodacious characterisation of the Dame and had some brilliant comedic timing and audience interaction, and Creighton as Chester, the court jester. Creighton stepped into this role last-minute and must be commended for not only learning all the lines but being effortlessly funny and having the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. These two were a highlight and lit up the stage with every entrance.
Theresa (Lilly) Dolman was ever-detestable as the nefarious and haughty villain Queen Evelyn, eating up the audience’s boos and demanding attention with her impressive stage presence. She was hilariously thwarted by her two incompetent henchman, Herman and Hubert, portrayed by Gemma Kinna-O’Brien and Danni Fulcher, who ably captured the bumbling and stooge-ish dynamic of their characters. Belinda Allen-Horskins also provided an effective foil to Queen Evelyn as the sassy Magic Mirror.
Michaela Arnold was delightful as the rhyming narrator Fairy Virtue, with some great singing to boot. Shannon O’Brien as Snow White delivered the sweetness so essential to a fairytale heroine, and with some more experience will be one to watch. This, too, can be said of Joel Strauss, who brought great projection and physicality to Prince Valiant. This was effectively complemented by Nina Sukacz’s charming and confident portrayal of the Prince’s servant Victor Victoria.
These performers were ably assisted by the ensemble, but a group that also cannot go without mention is the seven dwarfs, performed by Rachel Whittet, Jack Lynch, Mabel Moerman, Elsie Hasler, Darcy Arnold, Charlotte Pearsons and Oscar Green. These young thespians were confident and enthusiastic in their performance, and each had developed a very clear character, with special note to the energetic portrayal of Loopy by Hasler. Some credit must of course go to the “Dwarf Director”, Penny Phillips, who also rounded out the cast as Harvey the Horse.
The show was not without its faults and opening night hitches; some lines were lost due to projection that could have added to the comedy. The music, too, could have done with some fine-tuning – the levels needed some adjustment and perhaps songs could have been better tailored to the performer’s voices. Though, I believe that the true test of a pantomime is the engagement of the audience, and the crowd assembled on opening night gave this production an outstanding review.
I must compliment Creighton’s and the Players’ ability to bring together community – it is fantastic to see so many children and families involved in a production (I note that three generations of one family are in the cast!), and likewise to hear their friends and relatives excitedly buzzing about before the show. Pantomimes are perfect for this, so this is undoubtedly a tradition worth keeping.
