Sleeping Beauty

This version of Sleeping Beauty is very much a family panto and is reasonably true to the original fairy Story. There are modern references in the script and some modern songs suggested, to bring it up to date.

Much comedy is generated by the Jesters and Nanny throughout and there is plenty of audience interaction and participation.

There are 12 main roles, and a chorus who can double as the cameo roles and animals in the forest.

Synopsis

The panto begins with a celebration at the palace as King Ferdinand and Queen Passionnella who have just announced that they are going to have a baby.

The baby duly arrives and is a girl who is betrothed to Prince William, son of King Charles. Then the disastrous christening party for Princess Kathryn-AKA Sleeping Beauty. Arachne (a bad fairy) is furious because she wasn’t invited and casts a wicked spell in revenge …Princess Kathryn will prick her finger on a spindle and die before her 18th birthday.  Fairy Luna is able to diminish the spell so that Kathryn will sleep for 100 years until she is woken by true love’s kiss. Even though King Ferdinand decrees to destroy all spinning wheels in the entire kingdom, Queen Passionnella is still anxious about Kathryn’s safety.

Consequently, Kathryn, is taken by Nanny Nora (the Dame) to the fairies’ cottage in the forest in order to keep her safe, until her 18th birthday. The jesters follow Nanny as she has left her bag back at the palace – they all meet in the forest where they have an encounter with a ghost which causes much hilarity . Finally the Jesters run away in fright. The animals come to Nanny’s rescue and show her the way to the cottage.

Kathryn who likes to be called Kate, grows up with the forest animals as friends and has no idea that she is a princess. As she approaches 18 she becomes restless, and hankers after friends of her own age.

Just before her 18th birthday, Kate accidentally meets William in the forest and they fall in love at first sight, yet each is unaware that the other is royalty.

Kate tells the fairies and Nanny Nora that she wants to follow William to the palace where he is headed. Of course, they won’t allow this and can’t yet tell her why.

Kate stubbornly goes anyway, even though she is afraid of the dark and doesn’t really know the way. She is intercepted by Arachne who pretends to be a kind and good fairy.  Arachne transports her by magic to the palace where Da Da Da …Arachne is waiting for her, disguised as an old woman with a spinning wheel.

The rest of the story is history and all ends happily ever after in good panto tradition.