Sleeping Beauty (Cregan)

The eerie and disturbing story of the Princess who is doomed to sleep for a hundred years is unfolded with clarity and dramatic tension (and much audience participation). The delightful Godmothers are offset by the truly vile Maultash and Nanny, appointed to look after Rose, is a large, dour woman, deeplu anxious about her charge. A 'dream sequence' when the sleeping Court step out of their own bodies is just one of the novel touches in this unusal treatment of the traditional story, first seen at Stratford East's Theatre Royal. Brian Protheroe's excellent score combines witty pastiche with highly hummable melodies.