Catie attended the very first pantomime gathering in early summer 2010, at eight months pregnant with her second child. After it was decided it would be a good idea to put on a show, she quickly took up the role of producer and started rehearsing as the Wicked Queen in Snow White (2011). She has produced all but one of the pantomimes, played the Big Bad Wolf in Three Little Pigs (2012), the Tinman in The Wizard of Oz (2014) and the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (2017). Both her children have been in various pantos and she has been President of VADA since its inception. She is the last of the founding members still actively involved and is very grateful for all the incredible talent she has learned from over the years. She may yet return to the stage in her typecast role as the baddy… Boo!!

Mike’s first stage experience was in Khartoum, Sudan, in the early 1960s playing Tweedledum in ‘Alice in Wonderland’. That was the peak of his career on stage but in the early 2000s, he had the foolish idea of directing and putting on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ outdoors in the UK in summer with the usual consequences…. followed, in subsequent years, directing or producing ‘Wild Oats’, ‘Lysistrata’ and ‘The Comedy of Errors’. Since joining VADA in 2017, he has preferred to hide behind the scenery as VADA’s Secretary, but he can be blamed for our last two scripts – ‘Jacques & The Beanstalk’ and this year’s ‘The Sleeping Beauty’. If he appears on stage, that’s because the Directors have had to scrape the barrel as, at his advanced age, he can’t remember his lines or find his spectacles. He can usually be found in the Pub MontFort on a Friday evening for ‘Office Hour’.

Steve’s passion for drama was initiated in Somerset where he was heavily involved in school and local community productions in backstage, acting and directorial roles across a broad range of genres from Shakespeare to Brecht to Stoppard. Thirty years as a manager in the NHS seemed to provide enough drama in itself, consequently Steve confined himself to regularly enjoying productions in London, Brighton and Chichester, but solely as an enthusiastic audience member. On permanently moving to Switzerland with his wife Annie in 2020, Steve welcomed the opportunity to join VADA and to be able to contribute to the vibrant artistic community in the Val de Bagnes. His performance as Madame Trot in the 2022 production of Jacques and the Beanstalk was certainly vibrant, but questionably artistic. Steve is passionate about the potential for drama to bring people together and discover previously unknown strengths and talents, whilst having great fun.

Maev was born and grew up in Durban, South Africa. Her childhood was immersed in imaginative play and she loved weaving tall tales to her friends. Her parents were the loyal audience members of many home-made skits and musical shows. She attended drama school from a young age and was fortunate enough to study drama to matric level at high school and chose it as a major when studying for her Journalism degree at Rhodes University. Following university, Maev left South Africa in 2001 to travel and finally chose to put roots down in Switzerland in 2011 where she and her husband Barry are raising their three kids. She became involved with VADA in 2019 as Assistant Director in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and soon after joined the VADA committee. In 2022 she co-directed Jacques and the Beanstalk with Matt Hollis. Maev is excited about bringing drama into the community and making it accessible to everyone.

Coming from a large French family, Violaine grew up in Paris. After a masters in History at Nanterre University she came to Verbier for a winter season in 2006 with her English husband-to-be. She ended up moving there permanently in 2008 for her love of skiing and the mountains. After being a ski instructor for 10 years and a French teacher, she took a break to raise 2 lovely children (and teach them to ski). 

Violaine always loved a good story, a great show, upbeat music and entertaining people. When she discovered VADA’s pantomime with ‘The Wizard of Oz’, she revelled in the very British sense of humour! A few years later, she became part of VADA’s committee and directed the kids' chorus for ‘Jacques and the Beanstalk’ where her child management skills came to very good use! She most recently set up VADA’s first kids' theatre workshop in 2023. She’s really proud of the children’s achievement in both shows and chuffed to be part of such a success! 

Matt brings over two decades of rich experience in the Film, TV, and commercials industry to the world of pantomime. As a seasoned producer and director of TV ads and feature documentaries, he has an eclectic portfolio and draws on a wide range of influences to inspire his work at VADA 

Matt First did seasons in Verbier as a chalet boy in 1993, where he learned the ways of the world and the Pub Mont Fort. He then returned to London to start a career in film and TV when his lift pass ran out.  

He eventually returned to live permanently in Verbier in 2007 and has been exiled here ever since. He has spent his time in the Val de Bagnes producing ski movies and wrestling with the enigmatic medium of Pantomime. Having not gotten very far in this pursuit he intends to try harder next time.

Originally from the UK, Lucy actually only watched her first pantomime in Verbier! She was extremely impressed by the very entertaining and professional performance put on by VADA that she agreed to audition to join the cast in 2019 as the evil Queen step mother in Snowwhite. A fabulous, nefarious role which she thoroughly enjoyed and quickly grew to love the sound of the audiences booing. The traditional pantomime baddie gives one the opportunity to be completely over the top with a lot of audience interaction which is why Lucy returns to offer her villainous credentials each pantomime. 

Lucy is also involved in the pantomime as she would like to encourage thé younger generation to have a go at treading the boards and have the opportunity to experience the dramatic arts in a fun, relaxed and laidback family way that a pantomime offers.