1990+Snow+White

//This is a repeat of the scene when baby Snow White puts a large safety pin into the wicked queen's bottom. That scene was a triumph with Emma Forse and Jenny Gardner nice to see it repeated with later stars Suzy and Cally Cooper and who was the baby??//

Its great to remember all this stuff!!!!! Again my sister Cally and I were paired up to play the Wicked Queen Mother and mirror image a fabulous opportunity to get all camp, outrageously terrifying and play on all sorts of humour throughout. At this time Cally and I were messing about with make up and we made a very creative costume with the help of the wardrobe and make up staff. It was a classic pantomime with a Minstead twist and Nick of course came up with many. Also many new people and community members got more involved and I think we had a very large cast. I had a unqiue opportunity to learn more about stage craft and one of the new faces was Jill from the Old School, Minstead sorry can't remember her surname. Anyway she turned up with RADA training and offered me some coaching. Embarassingly she mentioned my tendency to shout the menacing lines and taught me how to tone down the volume but simultaneously turn up the menace. One mother of three took me to one side during a performance and pleaded with me to talk normally and smile because she was afraid her kids would have nightmares that night, we were that good!!!! Cally of course brought an element of the surreal and tongue-in-cheek performance and we were applauded for our song in which we mimicked playing the piano and she comically stepped out from behind the glass. I see a pattern here I am usually partnered up with either sister and fortunately for me never had to under go the romantic role....yuck!!!!

This was the last performance we both gave as we realised we were at that age and stature which we recalled many performers previous to us had been; those were our own idols in yesteryear pantomimes the likes of Joanna Gardner and Marcel Hayward. And like they did in their turn were readily hired by many families to babysit for their children our adoring fans, mine were the Cole sisters!!!! It was a fabulous role to go out on and we did afford several encores and a standing ovation Dwarling!!!!!!!!!!!! It also reminds me of the inherent value found in this arts activity. The many layers of engagement and social enjoyment given to people from many walks of life for instance the social spectrum included kids who came from privileged backgrounds to others from local families and all mixed and got on in this fabulous creative atmosphere. A creative atmosphere and space made in a small village and as you can see every year that space was made available to yet another inventive pantomime. I think our ambition to then direct the panto the following year was two fold to give back from a young adults perspective the creativity and theatre skills we had learnt and to develop our own talents as directors, producers and organisers. There are not many places in this country and especially in rural locations where this is possible and for it to gain such a legacy, nearly 30 years!! Well done to the Mellershs. posted by Siouxsie Cooper

Jonathon Cole, the director, with some of the cast

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