Caithness dame steals the show at return of Wick Players panto
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The Snow Queen reviewed by Karen Steven
It has been four years since Wick Players staged a panto, a run interrupted by Covid. But if the opening night was anything to go by, the troupe is back on track and back in style in a production bursting with all the elements that make this Christmas event such fun.
The cast was predominantly young and many new to panto, with some weel-kent Players' veterans joining them for this entertaining take on Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen – the tale of a dastardly witch who kidnaps and enchants a young lad in her quest to encase the world in a permanent winter.
It is up to his friends to save him, save the day and, ultimately, save the world.
It starts with the Snow Queen (Clare Sturrock-Center) and Snowdrop, the spirit of spring (Gina Alexander), battling it out in rhyme to set the scene. The audience participation gets going straight away as we are encouraged to shout "global warming" every time the cold-loving queen appears.
Off to the right, Hans Christian Andersen (Bruce Paterson) sits at his desk and pens his tale of the The Snow Queen as the action unfolds on stage.
We meet sweetie shop owner Granny Fannie Annie (Jayden Alexander) and her grandchildren – the bumbling and dim-witted Helmut (Alan Plowman) and kind Gerda (Lauryn Miller) – along with Gerda's boyfriend Kai (Kirstin Gunn) who becomes the Snow Queen's captive.
Now the Snow Queen tells us she is the star of the show, but as in all pantos everything revolves round the dame.
Of course it is an ensemble effort, but Jayden's dame was a tour-de force, all big dresses and flashing lights, and lines delivered with aplomb in a broad Caithness accent. Wick Players have given audiences some amazing dames over their 90 years and Jayden is a worthy addition.
Along the way the intrepid rescuers are helped (and sometimes hindered) by a variety of offbeat characters – Blossom (Carys Miller), Caw (Jasmine Dunnett), hippies Ziggy (Margaret Thomson) and Sunbeam (Marney Bruce), Frederika (Kate Durrand), Ruffus (Olivia Sutherland), Konrad (Lily Sutherland), Olaf (Flora Grant), Precious (Frankie Thurling), Robber-Chief (Anya Hetherington) and the Queen's minion Henrick (Sam Banks).
They were all brilliantly brought to life courtesy of the actors' undoubted talents under the direction of Jenny Szyfelbain.
On the road to the obligatory happy ending there are in-jokes and puns, songs and dances, and some clever set pieces, the funniest of which is the shop scene in which Granny Fannie Annie manages to incorporate a selection of well-known sweet names into her conversation. Her young customer is told to mind his manners or be "dragged out by the Curly Wurlys".
There is also the unwitting audience member who becomes the dame's stooge. Well done to "Glynie boy" for being such a good sport.
The backbone of the musical numbers was the chorus, whose confident members rose to the challenge with a variety of songs as diverse as There's No One Quite Like Grandma and Abba's Money, Money Money, as well as acting as background characters.
Among those performing solo was Clare, an experienced singer, who shone with I Put a Spell On You, while Kirstin's rendition of When You Say Nothing At All was sweetly poignant.
Adding an extra dimension to the show were the six dancers who performed two numbers with both grace and skill.
Although many of the cast members were new to the panto experience, there were very few first-night nerves on show and just a couple of missed cues. The lead players were a joy and held the whole thing together.
Also new to the Players were many of the backstage crew – in wardrobe, music, lighting, sound, sets, hair and make-up and front of house – and they all deserve congratulations for a job well done.
The reaction of the audience is the best way to judge whether something is a success and it must have been so gratifying for all involved to hear the laughter and see the younger members of the audience loudly and delightedly interacting with the story.
It is safe to say that Wick Players' pantos are back with a vengeance... oh yes they are!... and this production is sprinkling a little bit of Christmas magic over our dreich December days.
Who's who...
Cast and chorus – Lauryn Miller, Kirstin Gunn, Clare Sturrock-Center, Jayden Alexander, Alan Plowman, Bruce Paterson, Gina Alexander, Carys Miller, Sam Banks, Jasmine Dunnett, Margaret Thomson, Marney Bruce, Kate Durrand, Olivia Sutherland, Lily Sutherland, Flora Grant, Frankie Thurling, Anya Hetherington, Angela Farquhar, Scott Mackenzie, Susan Armstrong, Lucy Thain, Kara Howden, Blayr Howden, Leonna Dunnett, Emily Hayden-Homer.
Dancers (led by Elise Lyall) – Eve Miller, Abbie Harrold ,Rachel Swanson, Sarah Henstridge, Susie Lyall, Rebecca Sinclair.
Director – Jenny Szyfelbain.
Musical director – John MacBeath.
Producer – Maura Szyfelbain.
Choreographer – Angela Farquhar.
Head of Chorus – Scott Mackenzie.
Prompt – Frances Yellop.
Props assistant – Lily Richard.
Wardrobe team – Angela Duffus, Alana Alexander, Abbie Gunn, Lisa Rivers, Patty Coghill, Elaine Allan, Kathy Wares.
Stage manager – David Hornsby.
Stage crew – Duncan Roberson, James Steven, Brian Yellop, Tracey Macleod.
Lighting engineer – James Steven.
Sound engineer – Brian Yellop.
Set design – David Hornsby, Natalie Gow.
Hair and make-up – Alana Alexander, Gina Alexander, Angela Farquhar.
Booking manager – Allan Bruce.
Front of house – Alison Munro, Derek Douglas, Jeanette Coghill, Norma Craven, Sarah Dunnett.
