Preview: Snow White, Bishopthorpe Village Hall, December 9 to 13

12:01pm Friday 5th December 2008

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MATCH Of The Day commentator Guy Mowbray is to star in the Ebor Players pantomime, Snow White.

Guy will make a cameo appearance in next week’s production or, rather, he has recorded a special radio commentary for a kitchen slapstick routine.

Last week, the BBC football commentator visited the home of Ebor Players director Tim Bruce to tape the voiceover.

“Guy lives in York and is a member of Bishopthorpe Cricket Club and so we were obviously delighted when, as one of the top football commentators in the country, he agreed to record the radio commentary for us” said Tim.

“It puts the gloss on what is already a very funny sketch.”

Snow White will be the Ebor Players’ 16th pantomime, and almost 800 people are expected to see the show. Tickets went on sale on November 2, and such was the demand that almost 600 were sold in less than two-and-a-half hours: testament to the popularity of this increasingly successful society.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the response we’ve had,” says Ebor Players chairman Lisa Thornton. “Last year our panto was a sell-out success but this year has just been phenomenal. We’ve introduced extra seating but even then we’ve have virtually sold out.”

Snow White will be a traditional family panto with the usual mix of music, dance and comedy, not least the aforementioned kitchen slapstick routine.

Tim Bruce started work on this year’s show shortly after the run of King Arthur. “It’s become our custom to alternate each year between a traditional pantomime and a perhaps less conventional panto,” he says.

“This time we were looking for a traditional panto and so, in January, I began looking at scripts, from which we have chosen Snow White.”

A cast of almost 30, including six junior chorus and seven “dwarfs”, met up for the first rehearsal in early September.

“We’ve been rehearsing since then, so it was very gratifying to have the extraordinary response to the tickets going on sale,” Tim says.

“It’s given the cast and crew an enormous boost, and considering the economic climate, the demand was unbelievable but we know that everyone who comes along is in for a fabulous evening.”

Snow White will run from December 9 to 13 at Bishopthorpe Village Hall at 7.30pm nightly, plus a Saturday matinee at 2pm. Tickets are still on sale at £6 for adults, £4 for children, at the Ebor Inn, Main Street, Bishopthorpe, tel 01904 624390. However, availability is limited and next Friday and next Saturday evening’s cabaret-style finale have sold out.