SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN PIRATES
Meteor Theatre, 1 Victoria Street, Hamilton
30/09/2020 - 04/10/2020
Production Details
Family Friendly Theatre to Take Centre Stage at The Meteor for the School Holidays
Once upon a story, there was a girl called Snow White. You have probably heard of her. She had an evil stepmother, ate a poisoned apple, and was great friends with the seven Dwarves. Well, our story is not that one. Set here in Kirikiriroa, Snow White and the Seven Pirates blends a classic fairy tale with Māori myth and legend. With the help of a mysterious Taniwha, Snow must join forces with a fearsome pirate crew to save her friends from the clutches of the monstrous Jabberwocky.
Stories and More are back at The Meteor with a brand-new original show featuring children from their drama classes and adults from the Hamilton theatre community.
Suitable for families and all ages from 5 years up.
Local Hamilton children’s theatre company Stories and More have explored Narnia, the magical land of Theandrican and now they’re delving into the native New Zealand bush for their upcoming school holiday show…
Stories and More are returning to The Meteor for the first week of the term three school holidays with brand new show: Snow White and the Seven Pirates. An original work written by Stories and More founder Cecilia Mooney and founding member Missy Mooney. Snow White and the Seven Pirates blends a classic fairy tale with Māori myth and legend.
This isn’t Stories and More’s first fairy tale mash up. Over the years Stories and More have staged a range of modern fairy tales with a twist such as, Hansel, Gretel and the Big Bad Wolves, Jack and the Beanstalk and The Pied Piper of Hamilton. Set in Kirikiriroa, Snow White and the Seven Pirates follows a young Snow White as she joins forces with a fearsome pirate crew and a mysterious Taniwha to save her friends from the clutches of the monstrous Jabberwocky…
Snow White and the Seven Pirates isn’t just child-friendly entertainment, this is theatre for families by families. Multiple family groups are playing key roles in getting the show ready for the stage.
“Stories and More veteran Greg McCallum and his children Holly and Alex are in the cast, along with Courteney Mayall and her son Wolfganag as well as my own daughter Missy and my five year old Granddaughter Olive” says Stories and More founder and show director Cecilia Mooney. “It’s really quite special to have three generations of our family involved in the show” and “several parents and relatives of the children in my drama classes are also helping out on the show in production roles like backstage, music composition and set and costume construction”.
“I’ve been stage crew, a prop builder/painter, a dresser, an extra, and an actor with Stories and More over the years” say Stories and More member Greg McCallum. “It’s been a wonderful time with my children acting in the shows too and my wife helping out behind the scenes taking rehearsal photos. It is really a family thing and the Stories and More team have made me feel so welcome and capable in my many roles over the years”.
Stories and More newcomer Courteney Mayall comments, “It’s so awesome to be part of this year’s Stories and More show. This will be my son Wolfgang’s first time on stage and he’s loving every moment. I’m also really looking forward to sharing the stage with him. Plus as an added bonus it has become a full family activity as my husband Jeremy is writing original music with Horomona Horo for the production!”
Suitable for ages five and up
Snow White and the Seven Pirates
The Meteor Theatre (1 Victoria Street, Hamilton)
30 September to 4 October 2020
10:30am shows on September 30th and October 2nd & 3rd.
1:30pm shows on October 1st & 4th.
6pm show on October 3rd.
Tickets are $9 Child, $12 Adult and $35 Family Pass (four tickets).
Bookings at: http://themeteor.co.nz/event/snow-white-and-the-seven-pirates/
Theatre , Family , Children’s ,
Bombastic pirates meet bush monsters
Review by Ross MacLeod 30th Sep 2020
Stories and More works on the philosophy of having children experience theatre both on stage and off, crafting shows to entertain young audiences and giving young creators stage experience. From classes through the year they work towards shows like this one, school-holiday engagement for young folk.
It’s a creative formula they have down pat, taking a variety of elements and weaving them together into a simple narrative. The elements don’t always mesh smoothly, but they’re delivered with energy and the plot is easy to follow.
In this case, it’s a story of children lost on a bush walk, a band of land-locked pirates, and an assortment of Maori nature spirits all coming together under the guidance of an unseen Taniwha to tackle a monster, the infamous Jabberwocky. The cast ranges from 5 to 70 so there’s a lot of variety in experience and delivery, but where performances slip a little they still feel like people at play, which keeps it relatable. The pacing does stop and start a little, which might be risk losing some audience members at times.
Performance wise, there are a couple of standouts, notably pantomime veterans Missy Mooney and Courteney Mayall as bombastic pirates, and Wolfgang Mayall as a dynamic river spirit.
The always impressive fantasy sets, enchanting lighting, music and soundscape set the scene and mood throughout, excellent production elements that serve as a solid grounding for the young performers to find their stage legs. It’s an imperfect piece, but in the way that play is allowed to be imperfect. Children looking for entertaining are certain to find something they enjoy here.
One word of warning: the Jabberwocky elements are certainly scarier than some past Stories and More pieces, which might frighten some, so parents might want to be on hand to let them know it’s only a man in a suit. (My advice is to have them look at his very human toes.)
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