Sleeping Beauty
Cast Details:
Servant
Keith Walton
Servant
Tim Andrews
The Wicked Fairy
Rosemary Quin
The Queen of Homeland
Sue Gunnell
Princess Adora
Sue Guiver
Fairy Appleblossom
Cathie Gunnell
Prince Patanarella
Peter Airey
Beauty’s Father
Chris Argles
The Chancellor
Tim Young
The Page
Liz Sutton
Technical Crew Details:
Music
Tim Andrews
Reviewed by J.M.A. For The Croydon Advertiser
Musical Beauty
Where have all the young actors gone? To Theatre Workshop Coulsdon every one – and on Saturday the presented “Sleeping Beauty,” a Christmas play by Margaret Carter, which they repeat this Saturday.
The play, of course, appeals in subject-matter to the very young, and those in the audience squeaked appreciatively at the antics of the two comic servants, agreeably clowned by Keith Walton and Tim Andrews.
Tim Andrews has also composed the music for flute, violins, recorders, guitar and harpsichord, which, excellently played, shows considerable talent as an evocation of past centuries, already established by the costumes.
These too are extremely clever, the sleeping court conceived as Elizabethan, and the action supposedly taking place in the 18th Century.
The youthful actors needed perhaps more confidence and more vocal attack, more instruction on how to move in those period costumes – with the exception of the villain, played truly villainously by Stephen Swinscoe.
The wicked fairy too (Rosemary Quin) ablaze in her femme fatale red velvet was suitably evil.
The Queen of Homeland (Sue Gunnell), Princess Adora (Sue Guiver), Fairy Appleblossom (Cathie Gunnell) and Prince Patanerella (Peter Airey) were all pleasantly convincing.
The Sleeping Beauty’s father (Chris Argles) and the Chancellor (Tim Young) produced nice character-studies with a feeling for comedy.
The earnest young page (Liz Sutton) established herself well as a character as did the other smaller parts.