Please read the reviews below. 

Review by Roger Snow in the Hailsham Gazette on Wednesday 15th December 2004.

THE Herstmonceux Amateur Theatrical Society's (HATS) production of Snow White which took place in the village hall did not include The Seven Dwarfs in the title. But the dwarfs, much to every-one's relief and pleasure, did appear in the pantomime. 

If this was a politically correct omission by the author (John Morley) at least he did not go one step further and re-name them 'persons of restricted growth'. Although several of their names did appear to have been 'updated' eg Grumbly (Grumpy?); Batty (Dopey?), Dozy (Sleepy?); Baggy (Bashful?)

The essence of good pantomime is tradition and 'going over the top'.

Certainly HATS did their best to retain these elements which brought plenty of booing for the regally wicked Queen Evilena of Murania (Lisa O'Callahan), who later convincingly changed into the old crone who poisons Snow White before being cast under a spell herself to finish up as that modern figure of hate — a traffic warden!

The audience reveled in these contrasts and the director, Rhys Clatworthy, deserves congratulations not only for this but also for his deft handling of the ensemble acting of the dwarfs, forest spirits, ladybirds, firefly, cat, and Punch and Judy, all delightfully played by schoolchildren from Herstmonceux C of E School.

Much credit must also go to the musical director, Sue Burton, in her first involvement with HATS, for her own unobtrusive piano playing including haunting arrangements of those timeless songs Some Day My Prince Will Come and Whistle While You Work.

These captured the hearts of the audience as much as they did of millions around the world when originally featured in Walt Disney's classic film.

Snow White (Annalie Brown)'s singing and her mothering of the dwarfs was happy and spirited and she and Prince Lancelot (Edward Layer) made a very believable and made-for-each-other couple.

Whilst the 'dame' Mrs Dora Dumpling (Toby Meredith) squeezed every outrageous nuance out his performance including lobbing sweets Tim Henman-style into the audience.

But despite the inclusion of several "popular numbers' it was a faultlessly timed slapstick rendition of Old King Cole by Herman the Huntsman (Bill Gower) a very convincing Sussex "yokel'; Marmeduke the Court Chamberlain (Peter Coleman) endlessly bumbling and dithering; and Muddles the Footman (Ray Collins) suitably gormless with a string of corny one-liners; together with Mrs Dumpling, which brought the loudest applause of the evening.

All the costumes too were a visual treat, especially those of the Queen, Snow White and Hagwort the Terrible Troll (Mary Colato) whose realistic creepy fingers and shivery voice must have made every child in the audience insist that they went to bed with the light on!

The set for the dwarfs' cottage kitchen was scaled realistically but it was a pity that the magic mirror room did not contain some fantastical' scenery just to give a greater feeling of mystery and evil to the action there. But no matter.

Or as Grumbly one of the dwarfs, played by Hayley Huggett with a stage presence brimming with confidence far beyond her years, might have said, Heigh Ho!, Heigh Ho!

SNOW WHITE, a hit for HATS. Well, it was with the audience who attended on Friday night, which is when I was invited to join them, and am I glad I did.

What a surprise, I thought I was going to see the traditional Snow White and right up until the opening chorus performed by the courtiers of 'Dancing in the Street' I still hadn't realised what a show we were going to see.

For the first time ever, this pantomime was performed with the minimum of scenery but do you know, it worked. It meant your whole concentration was on the pantomime itself and the wonderful performances of the artistes who took part.

Our central characters were, of course. Snow White played by Annalie Brown (pictured at top of page), Mrs Dora Dumpling, the Dame and what a Dame, played by Toby Meredith, Prince Lancelot played by Edward Layer, the wonderfully evil Queen Evelina of Murania played by Lisa O'Callahan, Muddles played by Ray Collins and I have to say he was a great hit with the children and by that I mean the children of all ages and Marmeduke the Court Chamberlain, better known as Richard and played in that most wonderfully bumbling way by Pete Coleman.

Ray Collins was the first of the main characters to come on explaining to us how evil and bad tempered the Queen was and Ray as Muddles
was to come on like this at various intervals throughout the show keeping us informed as to where in the Queen's Palace each character
stood and to make sure the audience felt part of it all he greeted us with a cheery 'Hello' to which we almost as one were to reply 'Hello
Muddles' and we almost got it right on a couple of occasions!

I do have to mention one little girl who was sitting quite close to me, a certain Miss Carter. I think Muddles has definitely made a conquest there. She sat absolutely enthralled throughout the whole show and when Muddles came on nothing, but nothing could take her attention.

She was wonderful and I understand is thinking of joining up with HATS herself next year which we look forward to.

The Queen entered, revealing just how evil she was when on asking the mirror who was the most beautiful it replied of course that that  honour went to Snow White so she put her to work as a cleaner within the palace so that she wouldn't be around when Prince Lancelot arrived to marry the Queen who didn't want any last minute change of plan.

Suddenly the stage was invaded by Dora and what an invasion. It would appear that each and every time HATS perform for us they find us a new star and here he was as the Dame, bold, brassy and loud.

Throughout the show, Dora was to bounce on and off causing chaos, playing tricks on the other characters and singing some wonderful songs one of which was that Joyce Grenfell favourite, 'Stately as two Galleons' well you can imagine can't you!

Meanwhile the show continues with the Prince accidentally bumping into Snow White, which means, of course, that he falls in love and wants to save her and marry her rather than the Queen.

Marmaduke bumbles in and out, has some very funny scenes with Dora and of course is played wonderfully by Pete Coleman who seems to take to these parts so well!

Herman the Huntsman, played by Bill Gower is given the dirty deed of killing off Snow White and returning to the Palace with her heart in a box, he of course has to be put into a trance for this but comes too just at the right moment and so the Queen has to call upon Hagwort the Terrible Troll played equally as evilly as Lisa played the Queen, by Mary Colato.

What a sight she looked and her scream along with the Queen's was enough to shatter each and every one of the windows in the hall and after five performances I think they should be checked.

The Queen, of course, traps Snow White into eating the poisoned apple given to her by the Troll and you think I've forgotten all about them, the Dwarves that is, well no, how can anybody not mention these Dwarves, they were absolutely fantastic, each and every one of them and how ell they looked after Snow White until the Prince came along and kissed her releasing her from her sleep.

In true tradition it all ended happily ever after although I'm not sure that Marmeduke was quite happy with his bride. The Terrible Troll!

But everybody else seemed happy with theirs and the Queen, well what else would you do with a wicked Queen but to turn her into a Traffic Warden? You see what I mean about being different!

Many congratulations to all who took part on the stage, behind the scenes, front of house, the bar the make-up and especially to Sue Barton their musical director who had that cast as musically perfect as their director, Rhys Clatworthy had them word perfect,

Thanks for a great evening as professional if not even more so than usual and I haven't laughed as much as that at a show in ages.

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