Snow White - Cullingworth CADS The future of Cullingworth Amateur Dramatic Society looks to be in good hands with a lively and enthusiastic chorus of young people, and Francesca McArthur as Snow White and Shelley Hudson as the Prince.

The show presented last week in the Village Hall had an original twist with the little people making money in the City rather than as diamond miners.

The cast of adult principals played the traditional pantomime roles with strong performances from Fiona Wright as the Wicked Queen, and Paul Hall and Frank Selby as Freddie and Silas. Edwin Sharp's dame established a good rapport with the audience.

The show was produced and directed by Joyce Brigg and Barbara Thompson.

Their production team gave the cast excellent support with colourful costumes, well-designed sets and a varied choice of music.

Janet Whitehead

Orfeo - Leeds Grand

Opera North completed their current season with a controversial new production of Monteverdi's masterpiece, written almost exactly 400 years ago. Musically, the performance gives much pleasure: the period instrument orchestra was a real treat, especially the sackbuts - adding a bright richness to the proceedings.

Vocally, the ensembles were strong and vibrant, even if Amy Freston as La Musica may be remembered more for her legs than her voice. Andrew Foster-Williams and Ann Taylor made a good royal pair and Graeme Broadbent as Caronte guarded the gateway to the underworld admirably, although I wonder what Monteverdi would have made of his reading a newspaper from end-to-end during the two-hour duration.

Clearly director Christopher Alden was enjoying himself, choosing to set the work in a sleazy coffee house and having yards of masking tape noisily stripped off to hold together Orfeo's furniture wagon down to Hades, and even pinning his beloved Euridice to the wall.

As Orfeo, how Paul Nilon's tenor rose above this farrago is nothing short of a miracle, as the cheering audience demonstrated.

John Pettitt