A new take on Sleeping Beauty tale at Bettyhill panto
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AN extension to the panto season saw villagers in Bettyhill enjoy an entertaining reworking of the Sleeping Beauty tale.
The Farr North Awesome Actors Society attracted appreciative audiences for its production of Peter Nuttall’s family show The Beauty Sleeping in the public hall on February 7 and 8.
Producer and director Abby Hardwick, who took over from Graham Best, presented a panto that not only produced special effects and plenty of laughs but also lots of audience participation, which included impromptu dancing in the aisles.
The general storyline was supplemented by various complexities which required narration from Caroline Easthope and Isabel Moore, a.k.a. Fiddle and Tinkle, while there was more than meets the eye in the character of Plop, the court jester, who whizzed round both stage and hall on a little electronic machine before explosively transforming into the handsome prince.
King Jeff Beauty, Queen Britney Beauty and their servant girl swanned off on holiday in the middle of the show leaving Princess Beauty in full charge. And it was while learning to knit, under instruction from Mother Droopy, that she pricked her finger and fell asleep, the result of a spell by the evil witch Hogben.
Counteracting the evil magic was Elizabeth Best as Betty who, thanks to a good supply of Irn-Bru, ensured that all was well at the end.
Sleeping Beauty cast and crew:
Producer and director: Abby Hardwick.
King Jeff Beauty: Graham Staves.
Queen Britney Beauty: Libby Mackay.
Servant girl: Maisie Mackay.
Princess Beauty: Dawn Staves
Mother Droopy: Alistair Easthope.
Hogben: Andreas Herfurt.
Cat: June Cooper.
Fiddle: Caroline Easthope.
Tinkle: Isabel Moore.
Plop: Leo York.
Betty: Elizabeth Best.
Prince: Abby Hardwick.
Props: Jane Kitchener.
Music and sound: Chris York.
Costumes: Bryony Silcot.
Lighting: Donovan Easthope.
Stage management: Andy Coley.
Rehearsal support: Nancy Wood.
Curtains: Tricia Munro.
Make-up: Esme Duckham.
Choreography: Abby Hardwick.
Scenery: Jim Wright, Caroline Easthope and Abby Hardwick.
