Sleeping Beauty

Another Frayn script this year celebrating the arrival of Princess Rose born to King Cactus and Queen Marigold, with Nurse Dottie Dettol employed as nanny to the knitted babe. As in all panto tales, good versus evil in the form of Lilac Fairy twirling her wand, speaking in rhyming couplets and yes wearing a beautiful lilac dress with matching hair, accompanied by her little rainbow fairies who take on Witch Hazel in sinister black and purple with her assistant Gremlin. 

The Princess grows up and is protected against all things pointed and is lured into an unused tower where an old hag is using a spinning wheel. Pricking her finger, the spell is cast but instead of death by midnight on her 16th birthday she simply falls asleep for 100 years!  Time flies very fast in panto. Handsome Prince Alexis appears, breaks the spell with a kiss and everyone lives happily ever after.  Oh yes they do. 

On the comedy side we had a fine pairing of Fetch and Carrie, Richard Pierce and Sarah Champneys and lovable Muddles who led ‘Muddles don’t get Muddled’ which we did forget on a couple of occasions!

The A5 programme was well put together using the lilac theme, decorated with brambles and a delightful silhouetted black spinning wheel. Simple, clear with cameo style coloured principal portraits, NODA mention and message from new Chairman Kate, multi-tasking Stage Manager with David and responsible for set design. 

Downstage flats were well painted, one with a giant clock and the other brambles. We were exported to a lovely village scene into the Royal Palace. Costumes were well fitting, colourful and interesting with attention to accessories and finish with matching footwear, particularly impressive buttoned livery for Fetch and Carrie, together with comedic face painting, and Prince most elegant. The children as villagers, the colourful fairies and the various caldron ingredients perfect.  Good props with a lot of effort going into the singing roll for the audience participation song.

Music was played on piano by Marion Thornby, with some tracked pieces. The cast lacked a bit of confidence initially but gained more as they progressed, with well-chosen and popular numbers performed by principals. The technical side ran smoothly with a helping hand indicating ‘now’ coming from the on-the-ball prompt, Alan Richardson, who sat alongside Marion. The boys aloft in their box namely Dan Godfrey and Brett Lewis produced most interesting noises, especially from the baby girl!!

Well ‘only to direct’ turned into Jackie regally waving and a delightful ‘not too keen on babies’ Queen Marigold.  No mean task learning her part and directing a whole show.  Nice to see young members being encouraged and playing principal boy and girl namely Marlee Jeal as Princess Rose and Laura Gale strutting her stuff in lovely long boots as Prince Alexis.

Marigold was well supported by Ray Hodges as King Cactus who hopefully eventually got his panties sorted out. What to say about Toby Champneys as Dottie Dettol, who fell for the poor gentleman in the front row!  His nursing skills perhaps could have been enhanced by real nurse and newcomer Lizzie May who made a delightful Fairy Lilac with a great touch of humour. Nick Jeal got stuck in and enjoyed getting the audience responding – some great adlibs too. Witch Hazel aka Pippa Shepherd was a real baddie with a menacing cackle, ably assisted by young Max Champneys as her sidekick.  I must give individual fairies a mention – reciting their lines with conviction - Bobby Jeal beautifully dressed in Red, Millie Kay in Orange, Sophie Haywood in Yellow, Ruby Heath in Green and finally Millie Lewis in Blue.

Although not a full house, the cast and unseen heroes produced a most enjoyable seasonal performance. 

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