Panto comes up short

[Gob]

A theatre has come under fire after scrapping the word 'dwarf' from its Snow White pantomime - claiming the term is too offensive.

De Monfort Hall in Leicester has instead renamed their Christmas production 'Snow White and her Seven Friends', claiming the audience would 'not feel comfortable' with the term 'dwarf.'

It means the characters of Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sneezy and Sleepy are now going to be played by child actors in the children's classic.

Harry Potter and Star Wars actor Warwick Davies has since branded the decision 'patronising'.

The 45-year-old, who set up an agency representing short actors in the UK, believes the move is financially motivated - as dwarf actors can be expensive.

He said: 'Personally, I find it quite patronising when people are offended on our behalf.

'I'm sure there are those out there who don't like the term, but as a short actor I want to be given the choice about whether I appear in panto or not.

'I don't want someone making that decision for me.

'It loses something if you don't have Snow White's dwarves. I've been in a lot of pantos and I don't think it's offensive at all.

'The excuse of 'people' being uncomfortable is a poor one - I doubt they've questioned the audience about whether or not they think the word dwarf is offensive.

'I think it's all a smokescreen anyway.

'The profit margins for pantos are not very big and it's obviously much cheaper to involve schoolchildren than it is to pay lots of professional short actors.'

A spokeswoman for the council run theatre, where the panto will run, said the word dwarf is 'generally not a word that people feel comfortable with'.

But regular pantomime-goers have reacted with anger to the move.

Father-of-two Mark Chapman, 27, from Coalville, said: 'How can you have Snow White and the Seven Dwarves without dwarves? It's utterly ridiculous.

'You could understand kids playing the roles at a school pantomime but not in a big theatre. It is just political correctness gone mad.

'You cannot just rebrand a children's classic at the risk of offending somebody. It is outrageous.'

Darryl Birch, 34, added: 'If anything, it is more offensive to remove the term dwarf. What message does that send out?

'Even if it is cost-cutting, it is still really lame. Pantomimes are supposed to be fun and magical and this is far from it.

'I can't understand it. Their excuses are all poor and I think they ought to reconsider.'

The theatre is charging £15 for an adult ticket to see the popular fairytale, written in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm and made into a feature length animation by Walt Disney in 1937.

The production, which runs from December 12 to January 4 next year stars Sherrie Hewson of Benidorm fame and children's presenter Justin Fletcher.

The title role of Snow White will be played by Sarah Accomando and Britain's Got Talent finalist Jon Clegg will also be appearing on stage.

Willow Management, an agency representing short actors in the UK, also criticised the decision to axe the term 'dwarf' from the performance.

The company, which was set up by Warwick Davis in 1995, claimed the move will 'take away the magic' from the pantomime and leave dwarf actors out of work.

Co-director Peter Burroughs, 68, said: 'It is a cheap way of doing it.

'They can employ kids but that takes the living away from some of the dwarf actors so that is the great sadness here.

'It is wrong. I don't see that the term dwarf as offensive. I am a dwarf actor myself and I have never had any trouble.

'People are often overjoyed with meeting the dwarf actors at these sort of shows.

'We have never come across problems with people being uncomfortable before.

'Everybody should be relaxed at these shows. We all live perfectly well nowadays so there should be no stigma.

k

[Lord Jim]

The excuse of 'people' being uncomfortable is a poor one - I doubt they've questioned the audience about whether or not they think the word dwarf is offensive.

'I think it's all a smokescreen anyway.

'The profit margins for pantos are not very big and it's obviously much cheaper to involve schoolchildren than it is to pay lots of professional short actors.'

[wesw]

is there gonna be a movement to ban The Hobbit next?

[MajGenl.Meade]

Interesting that "witch" is apparently still OK. You'd think that Wiccans would be up in arms, not to mention Nicola Sturgeon

[Sue U]

Interesting that "witch" is apparently still OK. You'd think that Wiccans would be up in arms, not to mention Nicola Sturgeon

How many Wiccans and/or Scots do you know?

[Lord Jim]

I think they should call it , "Snow White And The Seven Cheap-assed Show Promoters"....

[MajGenl.Meade]

Interesting that "witch" is apparently still OK. You'd think that Wiccans would be up in arms, not to mention Nicola Sturgeon

How many Wiccans and/or Scots do you know?

I know two Wiccans. Scots? You have to be kidding!

(OK, I know Alistair Begg so that's one Scot)

[Guinevere]

You "know" Andy Murray (although he is a "Scot" only when he loses before the quarterfinals).

[Guinevere]

You really want me to explain why it's still perfectly ok to refer to a woman as a witch, but god forbid you call a dwarf-sized man a dwarf?




(to be clear, I think changing either usage would be ridiculous)

[MajGenl.Meade]

Oh, well in that case I "know" Sean Connery and er... oh... that one in LOTR... and Mel Gibson. No strike that. And Susan Calman... blimey, I'm on a 'my favorite lesbian' kick here!

But no, I don't need you to explain etc. And I agree.

[Joe Guy]

It's not such a bad idea. Here are some other titles of children's stories that you may not realize were changed in order to prevent people from being offended...

Dumbo was originally 'Dumbshit Elephant'.

Sleeping Beauty was changed from 'Comatose Cutie'.

Winnie the Pooh was originally named 'Winnie the Turd'

to name a few....