DIY Panto Pack Snow White 2013/2014
1. Introduction 2. Getting Started 3. Script 4. Costumes 5. Props 6. Advertising 7. Performance 8. What to do next Contents
Introduction Hello Boys & Girls and welcome to the Southend Theatres Put on a Panto Pack. We want to help everyone enjoy Panto season as much as we do so this pack will give you tips and advice on how to put on your very own version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Pantomime started two and a half thousand years ago and the first real Panto performers were the Greeks. Their performers would wear masks to perform stories about the Gods. The Pantomime was also popular in Imperial Rome! Pantomime as we know it today dates back to the middle ages, taking on board the traditions of Commedia dell Arte, Italian Night Scenes and British Music Hall. The Dame was a creation that emerged from the early music halls of the Victorian era. There are many traditions in Pantomime but one of the most important ones is that the Pantomime Villain must always enter first from stage left and the Good Fairy from stage right. This echo s the tradition in medieval times when the entrances to heaven and hell were placed on these sides. (Stage right is on the actor s right hand side when he looks at the audience and stage left the left hand side.) Cinderella is the most popular pantomime of them all and t was first performed in Covent Garden in 1870. This year Southend s Cliffs Pavilion is proud to present Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from Friday 13 December 2013 to Saturday 4 January 2014. Tickets are already on sale so if you would like to see this year s show call our box office on 01702 351135 and book your tickets today. Snow White is a German fairy tale known as one of the most famous fairy tales worldwide. The original version was by the Brothers Grimm-Jacob and Wilhelm in 1812. The fairy tale features such elements as the magic mirror, the poisoned apple and the seven dwarfs, who were first given individual names in the Broadway play Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1912) and then given different names in Walt Disney's 1937 film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Very shortly after the film was released in Great Britain, the first productions of Snow White Pantomime appeared. The British Panto version has a few additions to the castbut it never loses sight of the gripping story, the goodness of the heroine and the utter evil of one of pantomime s greatest villains, the Wicked Queen. Pantomime is a great first experience of theatre for children of all ages.
Getting started On the next page you will find your script and your next job is to get a cast! This Pantomime has 11 characters but if you don t have enough people then some performers can play more than one part for example, Snoozy could also play Prince Charming and Germy can also be Lisa the Lady s Maid. You can also be creative and replace some of the seven dwarfs with hand puppets. Once you have your cast then you need to practice and remember Practice Makes Perfect (Oh no it doesn t, Oh, yes it does! You will then need to call your cast to rehearse your Panto. In this pack you will also find a page on what costumes you need to find and what props you might like to make. There is also advice on how to let people know about your performance. We will also give you tips on what to do in a performance and how you can share that performance with us at the Cliffs Pavilion and other people who have taken part in the Cliffs Pavilion DIY Panto.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs The Cast Snow White Wicked Queen Lisa the Lady s Maid Prince Charming Seven Dwarfs: Shyly Bof Thicky Moody Gleeful Snoozy Germy List of Scenes Scene One Wicked Queen s Castle Scene Two Dwarfs House Scene Three The Woods Scene Four Outside the Dwarfs House Scene Five The Woods
Scene One Wicked Queen s Castle (Lisa the Lady s Maid enters). Lisa: Hello Boys & Girls. My name is Lisa and I have a wonderful life! I live in a big castle, I ve got lots of gold, and I have my afternoon tea with the Queen herself every day. Well, actually it s not that wonderful, because I am only her Lady s Maid. I serve the Wicked Queen, and now, since her stepdaughter Snow White is gone, she bosses me around day and night! (Wicked Queen enters from stage left). Queen: What did you just say? Lisa: Nothing! Nothing, your majesty Queen: Good, because I need you to wash all the floors and clean all the walls of this old castle- I want to celebrate! Lisa: Celebrate what? Queen: The death of Snow White, of course! Thanks to my cunning plan the huntsman led her into the dark wood and killed her. Now I am finally the most beautiful in the world! Lisa: (Astonished) How horrible, your majesty! (Evil laughter from the Wicked Queen as she goes to her Magic Mirror which is in the audience in front of her). Queen: Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all? Lisa: (Loudly whispers to the audience) Snow White! Audience: Snow White! Queen: Oh, no she isn t! Lisa: Encouraging the audience Audience: Oh, yes she is! Queen: Oh, no she isn t! Audience: Oh, yes she is! Queen: Oh, no she isn t! Audience: Oh, yes she is! Queen: No!
Audience: Yes! Queen: Oh, be quiet! That means that Snow White is still alive But how can it be? Never mind Lisa, fetch me my poisoned apple! Lisa: (Brings the bright red, poisoned apple to the Wicked Queen). Queen: I am going to find Snow White, and kill her myself! (Evil laughter) Wicked Queen exits. Lisa: You better hurry along, boys & girls, we have to try and stop her! Lisa hurries after the Wicked Queen.
Scene Two Dwarfs House Snow White enters very tired Snow White: I ve been running all night through the dark and scary wood until I found this charming, little house. I feel so tired and sleepy. I ll stay here for the night. (Falls to the ground fast asleep in the middle of the stage) Off stage many voices of the Dwarfs can be heard marching. Dwarfs: (all off stage) HI, HO, HI, HO-IT S HOME FROM WORK WE GO (repeat) HI, HO, HI, HO- IT S HOME FROM WORK WE GO Dwarfs all march on the stage, Bof (as the older one) is leading everyone in a line behind him. They march in front of Snow White covering her from the sight. Bof: All Stop! We are home. All Dwarfs sigh with relief and sit down on the floor tired. They rub their eyes with their fists- they are all really sleepy. Everyone of them acts being sleepy in a way that their name suggests (Thicky giggles and makes silly faces; Moody pouts and growls; Shyly tries to hide between others and sleep; Gleeful smiles and hums a melody of a lullaby; Snoozy snores quietly, asleep on Bof s shoulder; Bof tries to keep order and count through the darkness that all of the Seven Dwarfs are there.) Germy: Sneezes Dwarfs: (All except Germy in a Snoozy chorus) Bless you! Snow White: (Loudly yawns from behind). Dwarfs: (All immediately get up and look towards the audience, trying to see something in the dark). Shyly: (Scared) What was that? Bof: There s a stranger in our house! Thicky: Where is it? (Encouraging the audience) Where is it? Audience: It s behind you! Thicky: (Turns around, but can t see Snow White, because it s too dark) Where? Audience: Behind you! Thicky: I can t see anything!
Audience: Behind you! Moody: Turn on the light, silly! (Pulls imaginary string of a lamp and suddenly everyone can see Snow White lying on the floor) Gleeful: It s a girl! Shyly: A very beautiful girl! Snow White: (Slowly waking up, still sleepily) Where am I and who are you? Bof: We are the Seven Dwarfs and you are in our house. You can stay here if you clean the house and cook us some dinner! Snow White: What a lovely idea! Moody: (Growls loudly) Gleeful: Come, we ll show you where the kitchen is! Everyone exit.
Scene Three The Woods (Lisa enters) Lisa: (Angry with herself) I lost her track! I was following the Wicked Queen to steal the poisoned apple from her and to save Snow White, but then suddenly she disappeared and I could see no one else, but an old, harmless lady in a black cloak. I have lost the Wicked Queen - she must be a real witch to disappear like that! (Prince Charming enters) Prince Charming: Good day to you, dear peasant woman! I am looking for a beautiful princess to marry, do you know anyone? Lisa: Well, I used to know Snow White Prince Charming: What did you say? Snow White? Oh, what a marvellous name, it sounds exactly like the girl I want to marry, take me to her! Lisa: I can t, because now she has disappeared somewhere in this wood and her evil stepmother is trying to kill her! Prince Charming: Fear not! (Draws his sword) We shall find Snow White and save her from her evil stepmother. Lisa: If you say so They both exit.
Scene Four Outside the Dwarfs House (Snow White enters looking off stage and waving goodbye to the Dwarfs). Snow White: Goodbye dear Dwarfs, have a good day! (Wicked Queen enters stage left, disguised an old, harmless lady in a black cloak) Queen: Hello, dear, are you all alone now? Snow White: (Surprised) Why yes! The Seven Dwarfs have just gone to work. Queen: (In her evil, bossy manner) Good! (Suddenly Snow White looks scared and suspicious) Queen: (Realizing her mistake, trying to be nice again) I didn t mean to frighten you, dear. It s good you are alone, because I ve got only one of these beautiful apples to give you. (Wicked Queen takes out the poisoned apple from her cloak). Snow White: It does look very beautiful Queen: (Puts the apple into Snow Whites hand). Then have it, dear! Here, take a nice, big bite! Snow White: (looks at the apple, hesitating) Are you sure it s not poisoned? Queen: NO, no, of course not! I mean yes, YES I m sure! Ah, just take one bite, and you ll see for yourself. Snow White: (Relieved) Oh, Alright! (Snow White bites the apple and drops dead). Queen: (Removes her disguise and laughs evilly) Finally I am the most beautiful in the world! (Wicked Queen laughs again and exits).
Scene Five The Woods (Lisa and Prince Charming enter). Prince Charming: (Holding his sword and looking around) We must be close, I know it! Where is Snow White? Lisa: She s behind you! (Audience can help again) (Prince Charming and Lisa both stop and look at Snow White lying on the floor). Lisa: Poor Snow White, we are too late Prince Charming: (Disappointed and sad he drops his sword) Oh Lisa: Come, there s nothing more we can do. Prince Charming: Wait, I must kiss her before we leave. She is so beautiful (Prince Charming kneels down and kisses Snow White on her cheek and she wakes up). Snow White: What happened? Lisa: She is alive! (Dwarfs enter). Bof: What happened here and who are you? Prince Charming: I am the Prince and I want to marry Snow White! She s the girl of my dreams and she will be safe with me. (Prince Charming helps Snow White to get up, she holds his hand and smile). Moody: Alright, but who is going to cook us dinner then? Lisa: I will! Thicky: Oh, I like her! Shyly: Me too Bof: Come, you are going to live with us now. Gleeful: And they all live happily ever after! The End
Costumes Snow White Snow White wears a basic, pale princess dress and a red ribbon in her hair. You will find ribbon in your local haberdashers and then you may also use it do decorate your dress with pretty, bows. Wicked Queen The Wicked Queen has two costumes. First she wears a long dress in dark colours like purple, red and black. Find a long, dark skirt from you Mum s or your Granny s wardrobe and combine it with matching, long sleeved top. Remember, Wicked Queen believes that she is the most beautiful in the world, so you will have to decorate your costume with costume jewellery, golden colour sequins and get her a dressing up crown or make one out of cardboard. Paint it gold and decorate it with sequins too. As her black cloak use a big, black cotton scarf that you can cover your head& shoulders with or make one yourself by sticking together a couple of black, unused bin bags with transparent sellotape. You will make your disguise more interesting, if you take another bin bag, cut it up in several places and stick it to one side of the cloak you ve made so that her disguise resembles old rags. Lisa the Lady s Maid Lisa is a servant woman and wears a long and scruffy skirt with baggy, long sleeved top (sleeves rolled up) and an apron tied around her waist. She can be bare feet or wear 2 different coloured socks. Her hair is tied up in a wild pony tail on the top of her head that can be decorated with big, speckled bow around it. Prince Charming Prince Charming needs a pair of leggings and a big, white shirt which needs to be long. He will also need a belt, behind it he can attach his sword and a pair of boots to go over leggings. Seven Dwarfs The Seven Dwarfs are all wearing long shirts in a variety of bright colours (each Dwarf can choose his/her own colour) with rolled up sleeves. They all have similar dark trousers, all rolled up to their knees, and they may also have different hats that would look good with their shirts. They can all have bare feet.
Props Apple You can buy one or make you own. Sword All you need is thick card (you can use an empty cereal box). Draw the shape of a sword on the cards and cut it out. Then paint it black or silver. Crown You can cut triangle shapes out of the top of a piece of card and fold the card around so that it attached at both ends. You can then paint your crown gold or silver and add glitter, sequins and gems for decoration. Dwarf Hats Cut a long strip of card or stick two shorter bits of card together so that the length of the card will fit the circumference of your head. Stick the two ends of the band together to make a circle. Draw a big triangle on a piece of card and cut this out. Choose a letter (we have used the first letter of the names of our dwarves) and cut this out of some different coloured card. Stick the letter on the centre of the triangle and then stick the triangle to the front of your headband! Advertising Now that you have rehearsed your cast, found your costumes and made your props it is time to tell people when you will be performing your Pantomime. You need to make a poster so that people will know that you are performing. On your poster you need to include o The title (in this case it s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) o The date and time of your performance o Where you will be performing o You could also add who will be starring in your Pantomime
The Performance Now you are ready to perform! You need a performance space with enough room for the whole cast to get on stage. Then opposite that you need to put out chairs for the audience and make sure they can all see you. One person needs to show the audience to their seats while the rest of the cast are hidden. When all of your audience are seated you are ready to perform. When you finish the Pantomime make sure the whole cast comes back on stage to take a bow as your audience will want to give you a big round of applause! What to do next When you perform your panto make sure you get someone to take photos or film the performance. You should then email them to submissions@southendtheatres.org.uk and we will post them on to our Facebook site. The photos that, in our opinion, show the most imaginative production will win 10 free tickets for that group to see the Cliffs Pavilion Pantomime. Photos/films must be submitted to the Cliffs Pavilion by 6 December 2013.