Live and in person at Theatre Orangeville, Orangeville, Ont. Playing until Dec. 21, 2024.
Written by Debbie Collins and David Nairn
Directed by David Nairn
Music director, Nicholas Mustapha
Choreographer, Candace Jennings
Set designed by Beckie Morris
Lighting designed by Chris Malkowski
Costumes by Wendi Speck
Cast: Debbie Collins
Christina Gordon
William Lincoln
Andrew McGillivray
Ben Skipper
Annika Tupper
Shamelessly over-the-to-silly-fun.
The Story. You know the basic story. In this version Bella is a princess who is cursed at her christening by Maleficent, a really mean, grumpy witchy kind of person. It seems Maleficent was sweet on Bella’s father (the King) years before and the King blew her off and married someone else. So, at the christening of Bella, Maleficent blew in with her grumpy ways and horned helmet and put a curse on Bella: on her 18th birthday she would prick herself and be plunged into a deep sleep for 100 years. Well, this is a fractured fairy tale and there are twist and turns and laughs and three fairies who take it upon themselves to spirit Bella away and raise her so that Maleficent won’t know where she is. Bella meets Monty, a prince in disguise, well, really, in the forest. He’s riding his horse (a lovely tricycle with a small horse’s head on it) and sees Bella and she him and they fall in love…And eighteen years later things happen but not as you know they would.
The Production and comment. Director David Nairn has a loose but tight ‘grip’ on the mayhem that ensues. Larry the fairy is our guide and narrator. He enters and says “Hi Kids” and we are to say, “Hi Larry.” Many other characters have their own greeting to the audience with instructions on what to say, reminiscent of last year’s panto. It’s rather sweet. Annika Tupper is a confident, feisty Bella who knows what she wants but isn’t pushy about it. William Lincoln plays Monty with dash and charm. And Debbie Collins is a marvelous Maleficent. She plays the audience, goading them to boo her and gives back louder. With her twisty horned headgear, she is both scary and hilarious. The whole cast are shameless in playing it broadly as it should be. Great Fun.
Theatre Orangeville presents:
Plays until December 21, 2024.
Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes (1 intermission)