The Princess and the Pea

On a wet and windy evening, the front of house volunteers gave a warm and friendly welcome. There were around forty people in the audience and there was a good atmosphere in the school/community hall which had a large stage for a small venue.

The programme was simple but informative and gave details of every scene.

The set had been very well thought out. It comprised a backdrop and moveable stands all of which were well constructed and decorative. The scene changes were seamless. The costumes were to a very high standard and the jewellery was particularly eye catching as it glittered under the lighting to great effect. Full credit must go to Lesley Sutton, for her choices. There was so much attention to detail for every character. This included Nick Turvey, who was suitably attired in his role as musician, playing his guitar in front of the stage. As Musical Director, his choice of music throughout should also be commended. Likewise, the sound and lighting were both effective. The choreography was simple but well thought out and was impressive.

The Princess and the Pea, is a simple story involving the search for a suitable wife, before the harvest, for Prince Legume, played convincingly and solidly, by Chris Turvey. There was an urgent need to find a wife to prevent the evil Aunts from taking over the crown. Any potential suitor, however, needed to pass the test of sleeping with a pea under the mattress. If this disturbed her sleep then that would be proof of her sensitivity and thus her suitability for marriage to the prince. All ended well as he finds his bride leaving the Aunts thwarted.

There was a large cast, comprising around 22 members of all ages. Any first night nerves were not evident and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There also appeared to be a great sense of unity. All characters performed well. Mention should be made of the two young narrators, namely, Lorenzo and Parker, who spoke with great clarity and confidence leading us through the plot. Lewis Pavey playing the Dame (Mrs Marrowfat) was a superb choice. He was funny and struck up an instant rapport with the audience. Another stand out performer was Ellie Pettifer, as Blossom, the princess. Not only did she look stunning, but she came across as very confident with clear diction plus she had a beautiful singing voice.

The menace and humour were clearly demonstrated under the experienced Glenys Lloyd-Williams and Marilyn Bersey in their roles as the baddies, namely Lady Mildew and Lady Maggoty. The audience launched into loud booing whenever they appeared. Meanwhile, Mrs Marrowfat and her sidekick, Mushy, provided the humour and slapstick needed for a good panto. The youngsters, as ghosts, looked amazing in their sheets and fluorescent masks and were clearly enjoying their parts, particularly as this performance fell on Halloween Night. There were topical, current jokes and a community song as well as some spontaneous ad- libbing. This pantomime had everything one would expect to see and enjoy! Every member of the cast should feel extremely proud of themselves as they all did superbly well. They clearly worked hard at this production and deserved to be appreciated by their audiences.

After an absence of some years, it was good to see the return of Newchurch Drama Club and what a return it proved out to be!  As explained in the Chairman’s Letter, they had to start from scratch regarding the sourcing of props and scenery and should be commended for the efforts in putting on such an entertaining production. They evidently had to put in an enormous amount of hard work. Long may they flourish and continue to entertain.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

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