Sleeping Beauty

ANTS gave full measure to this witty script with well drawn characters and all the familiar pantomime elements brought to the fore. Despite a very reluctant audience the tight production was delivered without excess and there was some gentle giggling at the entertaining lines and some of the more zany situations. Although it had been fairly quiet throughout (except for one bright young spark) the audience thoroughly enjoyed its evening relishing the presentation and the wonderful opportunity of seeing “live” theatre.

The opening may have been responsible for the rather restrained audience reactions.  Technically well put together the pauses between the various sections including the narrator’s “mysterious” introduction gave the piece a slow beginning. Any audience excitement was quelled and it never really got going again. 

In his notes, the Director emphasised the value of teamwork and this production certainly scored through this element. From the delightful and warm welcome of the Front-of-House staff to the leading actors there was a genuine feeling of everyone working together to make the evening a success. Pantomime takes a large team of cast, crew and helpers to reach the stage and this production was no exception with over 40 people being ably led and displaying wonderful teamwork.

A Pantomime performance is, of course, judged by the success of its story telling. In “Sleeping Beauty” a lot of time is spent with the story centred on a baby and so it is the supporting characters who bear the weight of the tale. This was aided by clarity in the delivery and confidence in portrayal from everyone especially the King & Queen and the fairies. The story which dominated the dialogue was clearly told, but there was plenty of comedy led by Billy, the royal butler and the Dame. While everyone joined in, these two ensured that the audience was kept giggling. Billy did particularly well not to let the audience’s dull responses drive him to overplay the comedy. With good timing and lively delivery he deserved his cheer at the end.

Unusually, this pantomime by Ben Crocker boasted two “Dames”. Whether intended this way by the author or not, this proved a master stroke. Carabosse, the jilted Fairy, was effortlessly portrayed by this highly experienced actor.  With the exception of the young fan at the front of the audience, he generated a considerable amount of venom, while easing in the comedic elements. He worked well with his sidekicks Spindleshanks and Caraspin, encouraging them to develop their characters and make the most of their scenes. This provided a lovely contrast with the traditional Dame in Queen Dorothy, enabling this actor to make the most of the ridiculous scenes and hilarious gags.  

The generous and considerable use of youngsters in roles and ensemble work was highly successful.  It was not simply good to see young talent being encouraged, but gave the production a bright vitality. The devise of the Dream gave an opportunity for comedy while the long sleep passed. As expected after a hundred years’ sleep the heroine and hero got together to lead everyone in a joyous finale and even Carabosse could not resist being turned into a “goodie”.: all very satisfactory.

The performers were given excellent technical support using many up-to-date techniques including film. The visual side of things was well conceived and produced with excellent use of complementary colours. Although the result of their efforts was clearly noticeable the large team of helpers scurried away behind the scenes successfully maintaining the magical element of the Pantomime world. In fact every element of the performance had been thoughtfully conceived and organised and well rehearsed, giving a lively and entertaining presentation. North Tawton is a very fortunate community to have local talent so expertly shared.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.