Snow White opens at the Lyceum in Crewe

Nov 30 2011 by Will Harris, Crewe Chronicle

It’s almost that time again! All things panto are returning to South Cheshire this weekend as the traditional panto Snow White opens at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe.

For families and theatre-goers it means anticipation is building for the highlight of the theatre’s year.

But for the cast it’s arguably the most gruelling fortnight of the year, cramming in hours of rehearsals to perfect their performances ahead of Friday’s opening show.

It’s a new-look cast, with admittedly no big names to drive sales and have audiences flocking for tickets.

But, says Ste Johnson, who returns as Will the Jester following last year’s appearance as The Emperor in Aladdin, it’s allowed for a greater team spirit.

He said: “We first met for the promotional photos in September and we all get on really well.

“There are no big egos among us. We all work as a team and everyone has the part to play. The script is the star.

“There’s more added to the story than taken away. All the elements are still there, such as the mirror, dwarves and the apple, but the mayhem of the dame and the jester have been added.

“It’s a very good script so we’re not needing to change it much. Whether we do more depends on the audiences – when the audience is up for it, the more they give the more you go on and give back and so you can adjust your performance accordingly.

“Rehearsing is quite intense, especially with the dancing. We’re having to that with the kids every night. I think we’ve done well for three days though, we’ve run through the whole show and it’s shaping up to be a really nice show so far.”

Ste is confident producer Imagine Theatre has found the right formula to suit a Crewe audience, having been the company behind the festive show for several years.

He added: “There’s a couple of original songs, a couple of musical theatre numbers and some pop songs too.

“Imagine have found that Crewe likes a mixture of everything so it’s getting it right for the town and they’ve tried to find out what the audiences want.

“The panto is always a treat for Christmas. With what’s on TV now there’s not much point staying in. The tickets are £13 or so for a whole night of variety and entertainment.”

The panto’s traditional qualities are echoed by the man behind Dame Bree Brightshine’s feminine charms, Mark Siney.

He said: “Imagine are very much into traditional panto rather than it being celebrity driven.

“It’s an amazing space to perform in. I’ve played in modern theatres and it’s a joy to perform in an older theatre.

“My dad used to play the dame in amateur dramatics and I quite like doing it, it’s good fun making people laugh.

“My style is an amalgamation of famous dames I suppose, so there’s a bit of Christopher Biggins, a bit of John Inman, bit of Kenny Everett and a bit of me too.”

He says audience participation is essential to a good show on the night.

“You work on the adrenaline,” he said. “If you get a good response from the audience they are going to get a more lively production.

“It’s important for the audience to get involved and drive us on, rather than watch X Factor and shout at the telly they can be here, shouting at us and what’s more, we’ll answer back.”

For the leading lady herself, it’s Jennifer Jayne Stone’s first professional panto in a principle role.

She recently graduated from the Bird Dance College in Kent, and is delighted to be involved.

She said: “It’s the first professional panto I’ve been a lead in – I was a dancer last year. I absolutely love it.

“I don’t have a long speech unlike the dame and Will (the jester) so it’s a bit easier to learn the script for me. You know who I am as soon as I step on stage.”

Snow White runs from Friday until December 31. Tickets are priced £13.50 with discounts for groups available. To book, call the Lyceum box office on 01270 537333 or visit www.lyceumtheatre.net.