November 24, 2004
Sleeping Beauty
In November we went with our young daughters to see the Pirton Players production of Sleeping Beauty. The curtain went up and we were transported into the world of fairytale.
The children described it as “magical, very good fun and scary”. They thought the princess beautiful, the prince handsome and the wicked fairy really, really scary, with her creepy rodent following. (So magnificently scary in fact, that my youngest climbed onto my lap every time she arrived on stage!)
The fairies, large and small, were beautiful and light of foot, the singing was excellent and the acting beautifully hammed up in best pantomime tradition, with the excellent musical support, clever scenery and lighting ensuring a continually atmospheric show.
Despite thinking we knew the story inside out, this version had new twists, with colourful characters, a great pantomime dame, and plenty of corny jokes to keep the adults groaning. We shouted “its behind you!”, cheered, booed, clapped and enjoyed ourselves enormously. The greatest testament to the performance being how completely rapt our children were from start to finish. Well done to Janet Eccles and everyone involved.
[Review by: Vanessa, Peter, Georgina and Isabelle Cole, Walnut Tree Farm]
Director - Janet Tackley
Musical Director - Margaret Johnson
Cast
Cagney - A Rat - Katherine Insull
Childrens Chorus - Millie Rawlings
Childrens Chorus - Imogen Stirland
Childrens Chorus - Georgina Embleton
Childrens Chorus - Martha Burton
Childrens Chorus - Emma Smith
Childrens Chorus - Rosanna Burton
Childrens Chorus - Emily Abbott
Childrens Chorus - Hope Abbott
Childrens Chorus - Eleanor Abbiss
Childrens Chorus - Lydia Embleton
Childrens Chorus - Joelle Sweatman
Childrens Chorus - Elana Sweatman
Childrens Chorus - Alice Insull
Childrens Chorus - Rhiannon Gibbs
Childrens Chorus - Stevie Gibbs
Childrens Chorus - Victoria Turner
Childrens Chorus - Tara Joe
Childrens Chorus - Ella Groves
Chorus - Ann Langley
Chorus - Julie Dawson
Chorus - Lucinda Rowe
Chorus - Stella Turner
Chorus - Liz Chapman
Chorus - Jan Simmons
Chorus - Fizz Gibbs
Chorus - Shoba Kumar
Chorus - Mary Hollingdale
Chorus - Lorna Sexton
Chorus - Sophie Davies
Chorus - John Hayes
Chorus - Ed Picken
Chorus - Neil Shearer
Chorus - Graham Gibbs
Chorus - Dave Tinney
Chorus - Viv Tyler
Chorus - Antonietta Tinney
Chorus - Sue Kennedy
Chorus - Valmai Guess
Courtier - Georgina Embleton
Dum Dum - Shoba Kumar
Fairy of Beauty - Mary Hollingdale
Fairy of Happiness - Lorna Sexton
Fairy of Love - Sophie Davies
James - A Rat - Alice Trost
King Fred - Dudley Gentle
King of the Spiders - Ed Picken
Lady Pamela Tooth - Sue Kennedy
Narrator - Peter Harding
Narrator - Tom Gammell
Nurse Maid - Martha Burton
Nurse Maid - Emma Smith
Prince of China - John Hayes
Prince of Iceland - Dave Tinney
Prince of Mexico - Graham Gibbs
Prince of Victoria - Neil Shearer
Prince Richard of Ruritania - Irina Sexton
Princess Aurora - Rosie Eccles
Queen of the Fairies - Penny Picken
Queen Teapot - Paul Ribbans
Toffee Nose the Chamberlain - Peter Johnson
Vitriolic Vulture - Valmai Guess
Young Princess Aurora - Hope Abbott
Young Princess Aurora - Emily Abbott
Crew
Backstage - Sam Davies
Backstage - Gill Eades
Backstage - Daniel Eccles
Backstage - Pavi Warwicker
Bar - Malcolm Brodie
Choreography - Lou Robinson
Choreography - Janet Tackley
Costumes - Ann Wilshere
Costumes - Valmai Guess
Costumes - Susie Warwicker
Costumes - Helen Groves
Costumes - Gena Edwards
Costumes - Bren Timson
Costumes - Alison Bierrum
Costumes - Carol Mathers
Costumes - Rhoda Hartley
Costumes - Stella Turner
Director - Janet Tackley
Front of House - Betty Turner
Lighting - Derek Webb
Lighting - Neil Insull
Make-up - Dawn Ribbans
Make-up - Paul Kerswill
Musical Director - Margaret Johnson
Orchestra - Kaffe Jungreuthmayer
Orchestra - Sue Kennedy
Orchestra - Lucinda Rowe
Orchestra - Howard Etherington
Photographs - Debbie Keating
Poster Design - Imogen Stirland
Poster Design - Elana Sweatman
Producer - Sue Insull
Programme - Anton Jungreuthmayer
Props - Ann Fausset
Props - Susie Welch
Set Building - Mike Embleton
Set Building - Jonathan Bhowmick
Set Building - Ed Willis
Set Building - Graham Gibbs
Set Design - Beth Harding
Sound - Dave Wallace
Sound - Richard Eccles
Stage Manager - Brian Sommerville
Stage Manager - Val Bryant
