"Snow White" captivates

Press, Issue 33840, 12 May 1975, Page 16

"Snow White" captivates

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” one of the best-loved of all fairy tales, came to life for hundreds of children in the James Hay Theatre on Saturday. Played by an English and Australian east, this stage adaptation -of the Brothers Grimm story should make popular holiday entertainment for children of all ages. The scene for the play was set by a father as he narrated the story of Snow White to his children as a birthday treat. As they listened, so the characters came alive and took over the story themselves. Most of the action took place in King Ferdinand’s castle, in the tower of the Wicked Queen. in the enchanted forest, and at the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs. These sets were well done, particularly the dwarfs’ cotrage, where everything from beds to cups and plates was made in miniature. A notable scene was at night in the enchanted forest as Snow White talked to the animals. The theatre lights were out and only the fluorescent costumes of the animals, flowers, butterflies, and birds showed up.

; For the most part, the set i : changes were made quickly , and efficiently, apart from a| f scene near the end where a! backdrop was moved at the; wrong time. 1 The dwarfs were, as ! expected, the highlight of the ’ show. As a group, they ■ danced and somersaulted ’ their way across the stage , to ; the delight of their young ' audience. The discovery of a ; "monster” in the form of Snow White sleeping on their ; tiny beds set these equally tiny people trembling with ' fear, much to everyone’s ! ; amusement. ; Individually, it was hard to ! I distinguish one dwarf from ; | another. They did not identify ,!themselves until late in the J story’ and then only by expression. be it a grump, '.lyawn or smile, and not by ’! name. .! Gai O’Meley was well cast ■ as Snow White, although her; binging voice could have ibeen much stronger. She was; ; at times difficult to hear. ■ | As King Ferdinand, Don! ; I Williams perhaps had the (most contact with his audi-| ■ ience. Near the end of the first! fact, before introducing the; (dwarfs, he talked and joked i

I with children in the audience. This seemed to go on for too I long and made one wonder (what had happened to Snow ; White and the Seven Dwarfs. I Hilton Bonner, as the Prince, played his part well,' making the character strong as it should have been. His singing voice was particu-! larly good, carrying right to; the back of the theatre, and; making him popular with the audience. Iris Shand as the Wicked Queen and Ric Dodd as Rudolph the huntsman, played their parts adequately, and used their voices well. The costumes were most colourful, and attention was given to every detail, from the wedding dress worn by Snow White in the finale to the tiny lanterns carried by the dwarfs. From almost beginning to end, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” kept a young ! audience captivated. To do .this, the show relied in parts on audience-participation and in others on the skills of its cast. If only for this reason, | it deserves large audiences—(and judging by the packed ! house on Saturday afternoon, jit looks as though it mignt iget them. M.B.