The Stage

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Published Monday 17 December 2007 at 11:30 by Julie Watterston

Children’s entertainer Chris Jarvis not only stars in, but has also adapted the script and directed this colourful production at the Anvil. For the under-fives there are some nice interjections of CBeebies characters from Bob the Builder to In the Night Garden and there is no doubt that Jarvis is one of the leading young children’s presenters of this decade. He has a stage presence that the kids love and his amiability is constantly uplifting.

But while there is nothing specific to fault in the direction, there could have been a greater compatibility to pull the production together. As actor-director, Jarvis is stretched to maintain fluidity and momentum in some of the scenes and a few of the jokes could be construed as politically incorrect, getting embarrassed laughs and a shuffling uncertainty in the audience.

With a true actor’s passion, Carol Harrison devotes herself to the role of Wicked Queen, Tom Owen plays the Henchman, Rebecca Marks is the archetypal, yet sycophantic, Snow White and Ian McLarnon is the pompous, upper-class Prince.

The villagers dance to Joanne Day’s lively choreography, two theatre and dance schools provide the local youngsters and the seven dwarfs give distinguishing qualities to their individual characters.