Fairest of them all

Acoustic performance of Snow White on stage now

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, there are only two of us, so we’ll play the characters all.

County Stage Company has brought a classic fairytale to the fields of The Eddie Hotel and Farm performance venue this summer. With new interpretations of beloved fairytales on the rise in recent years, Greg Bank’s version of Snow White relies on humour to tell a well-known story.

Snow White (Breanna Maloney) and Dwarf Four (Lindsay Middleton) have grown weary of waiting for their friends to arrive and decide to tell the entire tale—just the two of them. Remaining true to much of the original fairytale of Snow White, the two women transform before our eyes as the classic story unfolds.

Clever costuming, which made pieces modular and reusable, aided actors in their transitions, often allowing them to swap mid-scene. According to director Cara Rebecca, it was critical that nothing was superfluous; every prop, costume, and set piece should further the storytelling. The deceptively simple set could be moved, transformed, and reshaped to provide the audience with a new perspective.

So it was that seven chairs were arrayed on the stage, each representing the wee mineworkers.

“There are a lot of transformations in this show, and I thought ‘what can transform?’” explained Rebecca. “And there are so many things a chair could be in a kid’s mind or anybody’s playful mind.”

Over the course of the performance, chairs take various shapes—a bed, a doorway—they are instrumental in one of the show’s truly magical moments.

Snow White is Rebecca’s directorial debut; with her extensive background in movement and stage fighting, she shaped the performance with heightened physicality, testing the limits of the actors’ stamina.

Maloney and Middleton pulled it off brilliantly.

In one segment—while Snow White is sleeping— Middleton must carry the story forward on her own. The lone actor compellingly animated a seven-person debate.

The production took advantage of the outdoor Eddie stage, exploring the ‘forest’ and using the sun as their only source of lighting. Unrestrained on the stage, the performers wove through the audience, encouraging engagement with sudden bursts of movement and mayhem.

The production is sprinkled with humour and warmth. Staging themes like community, gender, consent, and found family can be a challenge.

“…Connecting with our joy and connecting with that playfulness and heart … is a really important way to make the world a little better place day by day,” said Rebecca.

The Snow White production continues for five more performances, August 6 (this afternoon), 8, 10, 12 and 17th. Check the County Stage Company website for details.