Sleeping Beauty

D.E CAVERSMILL THEATRE COMPANY – Sleeping Beauty

Thursday 6th January 2022

Alan Frayn’s script of Sleeping Beauty was performed with the usual style and panache of DE Caversmill Theatre Company. 

Despite the many postponements, trials and tribulations faced by the company as with so many other companies throughout the UK and indeed the whole theatre world, for the last eighteen months, the show eventually must go on.

We suffer for our art in many ways certainly covid has tested that adage and still does. Sat in our masks certainly subdued the overall response initially but like riding the proverbial bike we soon fell back into the required responses demanded of the pantomime genre. Oh yes, we did!

This was a signed performance, emphasizing once again the strong links between D.E. Caversmill with the local deaf community which has led to many such innovative interactions, more of which later.

Fairy Lilac sweetly played by Siobhan Hammond, rhymed her way through the evilest of Witch Hazel’s plans; her rendition of These Dreams was fabulous.

Wicked Witch Hazel, Rebecca Mills loved her boo’s, she revelled in her nastiness, playing to the audience with much aplomb, Hisssss.

Christopher Mulroy as Muddles, drove the show humorously, especially when combining with Nurse Hettie  Harpic, Ian Hill. Timing the quintessential element of all live performances was spot on, this was equalled by all the cast throughout the show, very professional.

Princess Rose played by Imogen Crowther, who not content with playing the lead, also choreographed the show as well, doing an excellent job of all her tasks, her duets with Wesley Walker’s Prince Alexis really rocked.

The King and Queen, Dan Dayle and Melanie Fox Crowther, together with the King’s PANTIES, that’s Point and Needle Tip Inspector Experts, Fetch and Carry Rob Mills and Lizzie Capper all eked the best from the Alan Frayn script rounding the show nicely.

The song choices were excellent throughout, the full chorus numbers performed very well. The sound was exceptional, the effects and lighting all deserve a mention to. Costumes I must mention the spectacular LED fairy wings dance, great visuals, great concept.

As I mentioned earlier the show was signed throughout, including the whole cast signing the last song. I chatted to the signers in the interval as to their ability to not only relate to the script but to also to have to deal with cast adlibs, they were very discrete. Well done the pair of you.

Director Ian Hill’s knows the power of teamwork, always very much a trait at DE Caversmill, fun to the fore,  despite everything going on in people’s lives, the ups and downs, the mantra is, smile and give people a great show. Tick.

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