Snow White reimagined

WHEN it comes to entertainment, pantomime is a time honoured tradition and the reimagining of classic fairy tales is at its heart and this year the Mount Gambier Theatre Group is building on that tradition with a production of Snow White.

Cameron Horsburgh is directing the group’s 2024 production, bringing with him limited experience but a rich history of being involved in pantomimes.

“I haven’t had a huge amount of formal experience in theatre, apart from a few shows when I was in school,” Cameron said. “My first proper show was in 2019 when the Mount Gambier Theatre Group produced the pantomime Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood. I’ve been involved in one form or another in most of our shows since then. I co-directed the 2021 pantomime, Alice in Wonderland and this is my first show as lead director.”

The first time lead director believes pantomime is the perfect vehicle for young actors and is a great choice for community theatre groups more generally.

“Pantomimes are an interesting sort of show, with big, diverse casts, live music, lots of colour, and they don’t take themselves too seriously,” Cameron said. “There’s always lots of scope for actors to make their roles their own which you don’t always get in more ‘serious’ works.”

It also provides the audience with a touchstone to a classic and familiar story.

“We chose Snow White because it’s a well-known story and there are a lot of roles that need filling, which is important when you have so many keen up-and-coming actors,” Cameron said.

Rehearsals have been underway since July and since then it has been a case of all hands on deck to ensure everything is ready for the December performances at Wehl Street Theatre.

“We’ve got around 50 people in the cast and crew, although as we get closer to opening that number is growing,” Cameron said. “It’s impossible to calculate how much time has gone into getting costumes, sets and props together, but it’s a huge job.

“We’ve got a large cast with a lot of children, and the logistics of getting everyone to rehearsals, getting different groups rehearsing things at the same time and keeping track of everyone while they’re rehearsing has been interesting.

“The big cast also means a lot of costumes, and with many people needing more than one costume, our wardrobe manager has had a huge job. She’s done a great job staying on top of it all.”

The performances are on December 5 and 7 and December 13 & 14 with the show being as family friendly as it gets.

The production, which was written by Ben Crocker and the director features all local performers, including a live band, with adult and children actors sharing the stage and a team of volunteers behind the scenes making the magic happen.

The Mount Gambier Theatre Group has been running for more than seven decades and currently has around 85 members, ranging from eight years old to 80-plus.

Follow the Facebook page where there is always news about upcoming productions and calls out for people to audition or help out backstage.

“During term time, when we’re not putting on a huge show like this, we run weekly workshops teaching various aspects of the dramatic arts, and all are welcome to join in,” Cameron said.

If anyone is interested in getting involved email [email protected]

Performance Details:

Friday 6th December 7pm

Saturday 7th December 7pm

Friday 13th December 7pm

Saturday 14th December 7pm

Wehl Street Theatre, Mount Gambier

Bookings via: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1303700