review of Graeme's "Sleeping Beauty" (currently playing in Chipping Norton)
28/11/2008 00:00 GMT
Posted by lisa Graeme was interviewed about his production of "Sleeping Beauty" in today's Oxford Mail. The play will be at The Theatre, Chipping Norton, until Saturday, January 10. Tickets can be purchased from 01608 642350 or
http://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/index.php?p=whatson&id=235
FROM http://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/index.php?p=whatson&id=235:
Sleeping Beauty, Chipping Norton Theatre
12:16pm Wednesday 26th November 2008
By Giles Woodforde
There's nothing King Couer-de-Loup likes more than a good battle: "We'll march on King Florizel's wet and wicked army," he proclaims. His Queen is not so sure, however. She would rather her husband stayed around: there's the christening of their daughter Princess Aurora to arrange for a start.
And he certainly can't go out and fight looking like that: "Your chain mail's got a ladder in it," she wails.
Thus begins the Chippy panto, Sleeping Beauty. Actually, Graeme Garden's script is not so much a panto as an attractive piece of storytelling, with a bit of panto woven in: there is a dame, engaged to look after the infant Aurora. She is Nanny Fanny Chuckabutty, who arrives complete with a heap of luggage - it would cost her a fortune on Ryanair. But Chuckabutty? Does that mean she gets to throw sandwiches around? No, but she does get the chance to immerse everyone in sticky treacle, in an excellent kitchen scene.
"There are certain things you are too young to understand," King Couer-de-Loup tells his daughter. "But Father, " she replies reasonably enough, "I am 118". Aurora is waking up from the 100-year sleep caused by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel planted by the evil Caribosse.
Aurora (Helen Hurd) has grown up into a feisty and determined young lady, used to getting her own way. Her parents (Andrew Wheaton and Nicki French) are normally mild-mannered, but the King flies into a right royal rage when he learns the name of the handsome prince who seeks his daughter's hand:
it's Prince Florizel (Richard Pepper), descendant of King Florizel, Couer-de-Loup's enemy all those years ago.
Of course, it turns out happily - the Florizels have spent a fortune instituting Health and Safety regulations in their private army, we are told, so there will be no more battles.
This is a Sleeping Beauty with a modern twist or two, but the production (director Tim Claydon) concentrates on providing an old-fashioned fairytale atmosphere. It has another old-fashioned virtue too: the whole cast speaks immaculately (including the small Pippins, who could be given more to do).
There's a real relish for Graeme Garden's words.
The show looks gorgeous - designer William Fricker has achieved magic on Chippy's tiny stage. Wicked Caribosse (Kathryn Martin) quivers with glittering green venom, and earned lots of booing. Only Adam Russell-Owen's Nanny didn't quite connect with the largely adult opening night audience.
Rumbustious panto this ain't, but I suspect that it will go down particularly well with small girls.
Sleeping Beauty continues at The Theatre, Chipping Norton, until Saturday, January 10. Tickets: 01608 642350 or www.chippingnortontheatre.com | 
