Panto seeks asylum seekers

The pantomime will feature seven "asylum seekers"

Panto organisers in Devon are looking for two actors to play asylum seekers after their controversial show was saved.

Snow White and the Seven Asylum Seekers was banned by north Devon village Merton on the advice of race equality experts.

But Langtree, five miles away, welcomed them, saying they believed there was nothing racist about the show.

Producer Bob Harrod says all but five of the original cast have agreed to carry on in the play.

We think it is not in the slightest bit racist but is in the best traditions of pantomime Susan Lee, clerk to Langtree Parish Hall

Mr Harrod hopes he has found a replacement Snow White but is still looking for two asylum seekers, Prince Charles and a butler.

He said: "When we moved from Merton to Langtree it was a bit more difficult for some of the cast so a few have had to drop out.

"Personally I think it is a good idea to bring in some people from Langtree so as to involve the village in it more.

"We have got our first rehearsal on Tuesday and at the moment I am looking for two of the asylum seekers, Prince Charles and a butler.

"We will not be getting any costumes together until the New Year and we don't plan to have a dress rehearsal until just before we stage the play."

Snow White will now be staged at the end of January in the village hall.

Butler Blair

Susan Lee, clerk to Langtree Parish Hall, said: "We have looked at the script and we think it is not in the slightest bit racist but is in the best traditions of pantomime."

The panto has a cast of 12 adults and numerous children dressed up as forest animals.

Its villain is an evil Queen and her sycophantic butler Tony, named after Tony Blair.

The Queen orders Snow White killed, but she escapes into the woods where she is taken in by the asylum seekers, whose home she cleans up, before landing her prince.