THEATRE REVIEW: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Southport Arts Centre

Mar 24 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

EASTER pantomime is fast becoming a Merseyside tradition and this is the second year that producer Lee Kelly had staged one at the Southport Arts Centre.

It was fairly indistinguishable from the Christmas variety and that meant a familiar plot, familiar characters and – it must be said – familiar gags.

But as Kelly made his name as a choreographer, this production was notable for its many and varied dance routines.

There were a lot of dancers from tiny kiddies to big girls and it was really the musical aspect of the show that made it stand out.

From the glamorous creatures who pranced around the forest to the kids who strutted their stuff in the village square, the routines were vigorous and good fun.

Kelly has an ability to mix ballet with jazz dance and give everything a showbusiness oomph that kicked this show along, sometimes quite literally.

He also scripted the show and while the story was jolly enough there was a little too much verbal comedy and not enough visual stuff for the youngsters (the old ghost routine an exception).

That said, the show moved along quite briskly and boasted at least three stand-out performances.

Alison Crawford, a semi-finalist in the Grease Is the Word TV show, was a bright and breezy Snow White with a strong per-sonality and a delightful singing voice which gave her musical numbers a powerful force.

Sylvie Gatrill, also directing, provided a gloriously malicious Queen Edwina, her face contorted into a variety of evil-looking expressions, her body language demanding the boos and jeers which she cheerfully collected (with a crafty cackle).

And Michael Chapman gave us a different sort of dame as Dame Val, a lisping, camp performance full of naughty looks.

James Lacey, a contestant in the Any Dream Will Do TV show, was a late replacement for Eton Road’s James Edwards as Prince Valiant and also proved to have a good singing voice.

Mike Eberal was a lively Muddles but with not enough to do, James Spofforth a stern-faced Huntsman and Jane Radley (who also wrote the song lyrics) a glamorous and energetic Fairy Goodheart.

The result was an entertaining family-friendly show, homely but with a touch of razzmatazz.