Kate Mellors On … Snow White

Making up the cast will be legendary comedian Ken Dodd as the recorded image and voice of the Magic Mirror, while Russ Spencer and Caroline Barnes of Eurovision act Scooch will take on the roles of Prince Rupert and the Fairy Snowflake respectively. Audiences ought to be aware there will also be a guest appearance from the Honey Monster, the official mascot of cereal brand Sugar Puffs, as Lord Chamberlain. Adam Curtis, from Birkenhead, plays the part of the Royal Tax Collector.

Hometown Hoylake, Wirral

Former school West Kirby Grammar School for girls

What theatre training are you doing?
I’m now training at Liverpool Theatre School in Aigburth, which is a three year professional musical theatre course, and I’ve just started my second year.

Who or what got you interested in theatre?
I got it from my mum I think. She is a performer and got me into amateur dramatics but my dad is quite musical as well. I come from quite a musical family actually.

Can you tell us a bit about your theatre background?
I used to work at Pauline Daniels’ theatre in Liverpool, the Actor’s Studio, so I’m really looking forward to working with her in Snow White because I’ve not seen her for a while. I did a few productions with Pauline at the Actor’s Studio which was brilliant and really good experience. I’ve done a lot of amateur shows before, but nothing along the lines of this which will be my first professional show.

You had to enter what the Floral Pavilion called a ‘Snow Factor-style’ competition to get the part of Snow White didn’t you? What was that like?
It was really nerve-wracking actually. I came to the theatre kind of not expecting anything and just wanted to enjoy the experience. With it being a local theatre I also thought it would be nice to come and support the show. I came to New Brighton and changed my song at the last minute because I was quite nervous and there were a lot of talented and lovely looking girls auditioning. I sang ‘Not for the Life of Me’ from the American musical film Thoroughly Modern Millie. I went prepared with two songs and was also going to sing ‘Someone Like You’ from Jekyll and Hyde, but they didn’t want to see that one. So, I just sang ‘Not for the Life of Me’. I was originally going to sing ‘Someone Like You’ but because I was quite nervous I changed it to the more upbeat one which made me get over the nerves thankfully.

How did you find out about the auditions for Snow White?
There was a fair bit of coverage in the local newspapers and then I saw a poster had been put up in college and I just thought it would be good to go along and represent college as well.

Have you played Snow White in any production of it before?
When I was about seven or eight years old I was in an amateur production of it as Bashful and I remember looking at the girl playing Snow White and thinking how lovely she was and wishing I could be Snow White, but I got the part of Bashful instead.

What will it be like for you to perform on New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion stage?
I can’t wait. I’m so excited and I don’t think the nerves will kick in until I’m just about to go on. But I’m really excited.

What can audiences expect from this production of Snow White?
Plenty of fun. I think it’s just going to be mad to be honest but it’s going to be great to be involved in. I can imagine there will be plenty of audience participation especially having Pete Price involved.

Your family must be proud of you. Are they all coming to see you in the production?
Yes. They’ve booked a big block of seats on Boxing Day already and my mum is probably going to be on the front row every night!

What are your ambitions? Would you like to do more musicals?
Well, my aim is to do musicals and that is my forte. I would like to go into musical theatre and I would quite like to travel so something like performing on cruise ships would interest me as well. So if I can combine them both that would be really good.

What is your advice to those who were not as successful as yourself at the audition for this production?
It is quite hard for me to say because I’m still young and have not had that much experience before but I am sure there will also be plenty of knock backs to come for me in the future. So I think you’ve just got to keep going and take the setbacks as experiences and if you carry on and keep auditioning it makes you stronger person.

Kate Mellors was speaking to Michael Hunt

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs opens at the Floral Pavilion on Saturday 19 December and runs until Sunday 10 January 2010. Tickets cost £13-£15, call the theatre box office on 0151 666 0000.