The Magical Fairytale Mix-Up

Having recently seen a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream featuring the senior students from Sleaford Little Theatre academy, it was a pleasure to be invited to review another production from the talented directing partnership of Maria Bates and Molly Backhouse.  This time featuring the junior academy performers several of whom were making their stage debut. 

The Magical Fairytale Mix-Up is an original play written by Maria Bates with storyline and character developments from Molly Backhouse. The production cleverly combines a host of familiar fairytale characters whose stories are mixed up by a back-firing spell.  The stage, which featured an exquisitely hand-painted gauze incorporating a colourful woodland scene, provided a delightful setting for the adventure that followed and set the theme of a magical fairytale forest.

The story opens with two children quarrelling over a storybook before their grandmother arrives to tell them a fairy tale.  Without warning, time freezes and two characters bound onto the stage, these are Muddle the Tortoise and Mix-Up the Hare. They are the tricksters of the story whose well-meaning actions cause a tangle of fairy tales.  Suddenly, the two children are transported into the storybook becoming Hansel and Gretel from the story but will they ever be able to untangle the overlapping stories and get back in time for tea?

This was very much an ensemble piece with each cast member contributing to the story telling and they all worked well together moving the story along.  Every performer had good diction and confident projection skills so that each line of dialogue could be clearly heard.  

Iris P and Molly B worked well together as the ravens Ink and Echo and doubled as defence and prosecution lawyers during the entertaining courtroom scene. The comedy police Alexandra B and Skye P brought comic relief as the Fairy Tale Police displaying good comic timing and an engaging comedy double-act.

Harriet R brought gravitas and commanding authority to her role of Shadow the Badger banging her gavel and overseeing court proceedings as the judge.  Amelia N gave Tabitha the Cat a wonderful, animated personality through expressive movement and assured delivery.  Martha C-W played the sassy misunderstood witch Myrtle, with a penchant for rainbow themed clothing, with confidence. Elizabeth F and Ollie R-D added extra mischief as the meddle-some duo Muddle and Mix-Up. Mia S also impressed as the Woodcutter, delivering her lines confidently complaining about political correctness in fairy tales with conviction. 

Quinn D-W and Migle Z made an engaging Hansel and Gretel capturing the bemusement of being unexpectedly trapped inside a storybook while teasing the Fairy Tale Police with infectious enthusiasm.  Zaelene H-A displayed an elegant, calm confidence in her performance as the dual role of granny and Fairy Godmother demonstrating expressive dance skills leading the western style dance sequence and singing Happy Birthday to Tabitha the cat.

Other cast members played the parts of fairytale characters such as Snow White played by Layla P, Little Red Riding Hood played by Melody B and the Big Bad Wolf with a sneezing allergy played by Milo C. They were accompanied by Stagehands: Gaffer (Robert W), Wrench (Grace W-R), Rigs (Jessica S), Dusty (Niamh M) and Sparks (Ava B), all wore convincing tools belts which added more attention to detail.

Special mention to Roxanne C who played Clockwork the Timekeeper. She delivered one of the production’s standout moments with an impressive rap performance and a clockwork inspired themed choreography performed alongside Muddle and Mix-up. Her commanding stage presence and confident vocal delivery ensured her character kept the story moving. 

The production was supported by attractive scenery, including a beautifully designed backdrop depicting an open story book featuring the witch’s sugar and spice cottage which further added to the magical fairy tale theme. 

Costumes were whimsical with lots of attention to detail and perfectly reflected the fairy tale theme and the woodland animals. Hats were incorporated with furry ears and Muddle the Tortoise had a shell on her back.  Clockwork the Timekeeper had an impressive steam punkish inspired outfit reflecting her status as timekeeper with the addition of a fox tail and ears. The police wore black and white outfits with handcuffs and Tabitha the cat had little pink paw pads. 

Lighting Designer Callum Thursby made excellent use of colour with rotating floral gobos and blue flashing lights whenever the Fairytale police appeared. 

Congratulations should also go stage manager Amanda Grant and the backstage crew for ensuring each scene ran smoothly, together with the chaperones whose invaluable support enabled these young performers to take part. 

Maria Bates and Molly Backhouse have created an imaginative, whimsical tale of magic, mischief and mayhem.  Under their guidance, this talented young cast performed confidently and enthusiastically in a delightful production showcasing the strength and stagecraft techniques of the academy’s younger performers.

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