The Snow Queen, Lindsey Rural Players – a review

Group: Lindsey Rural Players

Show: The Snow Queen by Kei Bailey

Venue: The Broadbent Theatre

Date: 24^th January 2025

Director: Jimbob Hewson

It’s been a while since I’ve found myself at the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby. I have fond memories of taking two of Other Voices’ touring productions there in the early noughties and I always forget what an enchanting venue it is until I find myself back there. It really is a ‘hidden gem’ tucked away in the Lincolnshire Wolds. Today’s visit was a particularly special trip as it was a chance for me to see one of my pantomime scripts performed first hand – something I don’t get to do very often.

Lindsey Rural Players, the resident theatre company, based at the Broadbent Theatre had chosen to perform The Snow Queen, a script I’d originally written for Sleaford Little Theatre, just after the pandemic. I was met by Jimbob Hewson, the exuberant, enthusiastic director of the pantomime and quite possibly one of the loveliest chaps I’ve met in a long time. We chatted briefly before he had to go and get into costume and make-up for his role as Jack Frost, and I took my seats alongside Sue and Laura, the friends who had joined me for the evening excursion, the show was about to begin . . .

And what a show it was! A joyful rollercoaster of laughter, music, colour and craziness from beginning to end. The production really was an ensemble piece, the whole cast working wonderfully together to bring the story to life. Nina Wilson-Razzell in the titular role as Cryogenica the Snow Queen was excellent. From the moment she entered, she commanded the stage and wickedly toyed with the audience using a hypnotic stare and seductive tones laced with venom. Her mannerisms and gestures just oozed evilness and her maniacal cackle would be the envy of many a panto baddie.

In contrast to our villainous villain, we had our hero, the enchanting Gerda Merryweather played with charm and warmth by Rebekah Hardy. Rebekah had a real twinkle which lit up the stage every time she appeared and her interactions with the other characters were well performed, especially those involving Jess Holt who played her kind-hearted sister, Kay. Jess provided one of the funniest moments for me when her serenade to a pretty dove she was holding was interrupted by a gun shot from the wings and a flurry of feathers. She then tried to release the bird into the sky, but it just dropped to the ground like a stone. It was surreal but very funny.

Gerda and Kay’s unofficial guardians were Auntie Prudence Puddledub and Jamie Dodger, roles taken by Sian Rees and Kerry James respectively. Now, I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to panto dames, I do prefer to see a man in the role. However, once I relaxed into it, Sian’s performance was super to watch, and she had a fabulous singing voice. Her character was playful, loud and outrageous, and was clearly a hit with the audience. Kerry as Jamie was equally loved by the audience and she brought a fantastic energy to the role, she never failed to bounce onto the stage with vivacity. I loved her ‘Fonz from Happy Days’ characterisation, it suited the role brilliantly.

Rachel Lindsay as Prince Frederick was one of my personal favourites. From the outset, she managed to capture the vanity and arrogance of the royal, without making the role unlikeable. There was a sincerity to her performance which helped bring out the humour, and the awkwardness in her failed flirtations with Gerda were pitched perfectly. The prince was often joined on stage by Greg Fane as Captain Keen of the Palace Guard, he was strong in his role with his sharp diction and stern, and often bemused, expressions. The foil to his efficiency and order was Private Grubb, played with undeniable enthusiasm by Anna Fane. Private Grubb has some of the silliest jokes and Anne took great pleasure in delivering them. She evidently loved breathing life into Grubb and her passion for performance was infectious. There were lots of smiles on the faces of the audience members whenever she came on stage.

The final two characters in the goodies’ camp were Fairy Sunbeam and Cora the Crow. Ben Harris gave a dynamic performance as Fairy Sunbeam and truly sparkled in the role. I loved the delightful ditziness of his portrayal which concealed an inner strength and power. Natalie Anderton as Cora was equally strong and seemed to be having great fun flapping and squawking around the stage. She made an impact during her first scene with Gerda, and this grew into a big, bold characterisation – a really memorable performance.

This brings me onto to the baddies, the incompetent henchmen and women who surround the long-suffering Snow Queen in her Ice Fortress. This team of bumbling buffoons was headed up by Jack Frost played by the director himself, Jimbob Hewson, and what a joyful performance it was. He snivelled and crept and crawled his way through the production, leering at the audience and fawning over the Queen. He had enviable stage presence, and his diction was crisp and precise. Andy Razzell, Alex Wilson-Razzell, Peter Dodds, Rosy Razzell, Claire Burnett and Erin Walker took the roles of the other hench-people, and all had great characterisations and funny moments. I was particularly impressed with Alex and Peter as the Bruiser Brothers, both had great energy and expressive faces.

Last, but most certainly not least, was Vidge Stacey as Odd Bob, the strangest henchman of them all. Vidge delivered the most hilarious performance, and she made us laugh a lot, in fact I thought my friend, Laura, was going to pass out at one point because she was guffawing so much. It truly was a masterclass in comic timing and character comedy. The constant befuddled expression, the awkward, exaggerated movements, the puzzlement at everything going, the gurning, the silly voice – all spot on.

Jimbob should be congratulated for enabling his cast to shine so brightly on the stage. When I saw him afterwards in full frosty face paint, he is obviously passionate about community theatre and his enjoyment of the uniquely British genre of pantomime was very evident, as was his love of ‘Carry On’ films which there was some clear nods to throughout. The choreography by Storme Wilson-Eddowes was very good and served to enrich Jimbob’s direction.

Well done to the ‘set wizards’ Pete Thornalley and Ted Brewer for their colourful, vibrant sets. I thought the ice-cream parlour was super and I particularly liked the ‘Frozen Wasteland’ scenery. The use of real fir trees on stage was inspired. Technically, the show was excellent; the lighting was very good and used effectively to enhance scenes and musical numbers, and the cues were sharp and well-timed, as were the sound effects which were high-quality and well-balanced. Congratulations to Andrew Newton and his assistants, Charlie Knight and Jo Johnston. I also loved the opening film section which provided the prologue – the cinematography and special effects were brilliant. Well done, Alex Wilson-Razzell.

It is a mammoth feat to costume a large cast production and Gail Barber did a wonderful job with her the outfits which were bright, colourful and complimented the actors’ characterisations. Standout costumes for me were the Snow Queen, Jack Frost, Fairy Sunbeam and Cora the Crow.

Overall, this was a fun-filled pantomime with so many entertaining moments, and I’d like to pass on my hearty congratulations to Jimbob, his assistant director, Nina Wilson-Razzell, and stage manager, Gail Barber. This production of The Snow Queen was a prime example of what community theatre should be about. The cast were clearly having a whale of a time and there was a tangible feeling that the team who brought you LRP’s latest panto was a very happy team indeed. Thank you for making me and my friends feel so welcome – it was a joyous evening and one I will remember for many years to come.