The Sleeping Beauty

First of all I must congratulate the society for overcoming the disruption caused by the adverse weather.  A dress rehearsal, matinee and evening performance all in the same day must have been exhausting.  Well done to all.

As I have often said, even as a child I was never a great fan of pantomime, so when I come away having enjoyed myself it is a sign of a good production.  I really did have fun at ‘Sleeping Beauty’.  Whether it was because I was enjoying it with my 4-year-old daughter or the pace of the production, I don’t know; but I have a feeling it was more the latter.  This show was surprisingly tight considering it was the first performance and the dress rehearsal only finished a couple of hours before.  The Saturday afternoon audience was certainly appreciative.  The set, as usual, was colourful and imaginative, depicting the fairy-tale castle.  The towers opening to reveal different rooms made the set changes quick and smooth.  The lighting effects were well executed, creating the right atmosphere, particularly when the Black Fairy made her entrance.  The costumes were vibrant in colour and complimented the set perfectly.  Director, CRAIG HEWLETT, has a knack of creating the simple fun of pantomime without making it corny, and certainly achieved it again this year.  The cast were lively and enthusiastic and there were some excellent performances from the principals.  GARETH DAVIES gave a confident portrayal as The Minstrel and SHANNON MILLICHAP was delightful in the title role.  ALAN MARSHALL energetically brought Nanny Fanny Cranny, the Dame of the piece, to life; whilst RACHEL HOWGEGO gave a superb performance as Carabosse, the Black Fairy.

The whole company worked hard and their team spirit was evident throughout.  Congratulations to all involved.

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