Sisters Florrie and Peony Adams may not appear on stage during My First Panto: Cinderella Rocks. But Ella’s dreams wouldn’t come true without them.
The Wymondham youngsters provided the voices for Squeaker and Nibbles, two mice who help her on her journey to stardom in The Garage Norwich’s latest co-production with All-In Productions.
They were chosen after a countywide open call. Neither have professionally acted before.
Florrie, 12, said: “We read about it on Facebook, and it seemed like a really fun idea. Neither of us had done anything like it before so we decided to give it a go.
“I loved performing at The Garage before and I was really excited about doing something else there.”
She’s no stranger to the stage, having appeared in lots of schools shows as well as The Vackees at The Garage with NYMT. Last year she appeared at Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre with her theatre school PQA.
Peony, 11, who played Aladdin in her school pantomime, added: “I’ve wanted to be in a show for a long time and The Garage seemed like a great place for my first ‘professional’ acting experience.”
Both found the audition process a bit nerve-wracking but really fun.
Recording the dialogue for puppets Squeaker and Nibbles, which are operated on stage by the cast, was interesting.
Florrie said: “We had plenty of time to try out different things to find out what worked, and it was brilliant working with Rebecca Levy, who plays Ella. She was so nice.”
Peony added: “Everybody was very helpful, and the sound room was amazing. Ashley who was recording us was very patient.”
The sisters love their puppet counterparts.
Florrie added: “They’re huge. Much bigger than I was expecting. Their personalities match their size.”
Peony said: “They’re great – like Muppets. It was lovely to be able to see ourselves in mouse form.”
Squeaker and Nibbles are the best of friends. Fun, kind and humorous with a sassy side, they squabble at times but care deeply for each other.
Peony said: “I can relate to Squeaker – she’s very cheeky and loves food, just like me. I couldn’t wait to see how the show turns out.
“The characters were all so funny and were really well acted. The mouse puppets were very cool and so fun to watch. It made me laugh hearing my voice coming from Squeaker!”
Florrie added: “Nibbles is the oldest like me and likes to be in charge. She’s the more responsible one. I was so excited to hear whether our hard work paid off – and what we sound like as mice.
“I loved how all the characters were so believable. The actors’ singing voices were brilliant and they’re all great musicians. It was a perfect family show.
“The mice were so clever – it really looked like they were talking! I was a bit nervous about how it would all work, but it was fantastic, and I loved hearing my voice in the show.”
My First Panto: Cinderella Rocks is the story of Ella, who dreams of being a famous rock star but her sisters sabotage every show. Will she get to play at the royal party?
Aimed at ages 0-7, it’s the only show in all the land that lets the audience get up and join in.
Rock “n” Roller Baby‘s reviewer called the show “flipping awesome… And even better than before! For little ones it’s the perfect welcome to the theatre”.
Norwich Mumbler‘s reviewer said “Children are allowed to be children in all their interrupting and excitable glory! We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them”.
It continues its run at The Garage Norwich until 16 January. Book your tickets online or call 01603 283382. You’ll find our latest Covid policy here.
Find out more about our spring term of classes which begin on Monday, 10 January.
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