A show that is a
great big bundle of fun. (Review by Keith Millar)
Amateur theatre is
alive and well in Westville - if the Theatre Club’s Christmas pantomime Sleeping Beauty is anything to go by.
Presented at their
rustic little venue, next to the swimming pool in St James Road, the production
is a 21st century take on the much loved fairy tale -and is full of
fun, music and laughter. In fact, it is difficult to know if one should call it
a pantomime or a musical given the amount of popular tunes included in the
show, often with new lyrics which help to tell the story.
As for the story,
it is very loosely based on the original Sleeping
Beauty. Princess Aurora is a Greenpeace activist wannabe, the handsome
prince is a computer geek called Norman and the three good fairies are named
April, May and June. The evil fairy, Maleficent, becomes the suitably
malevolent, Augusta Stern, who has two very stupid sons, Hubert and Howard. The
story abounds with these whacky characters that at some stretch of the
imagination may just fit into the original.
There is even
Westville’s own Anthony Stonier look-a-like, complete with the gorgeous legs,
who plays Dame Gwendolyn Gill, a reporter from a tabloid magazine.
The cast all
perform with energy and enthusiasm and the singing, backed by a tight four
piece band, is very good.
The performance
which stands out is that of Sarah Claxton as the Narrator. She is trained in
the technical side of theatre production and this is her first venture onto the
stage – and what a very pleasant surprise it is. She is easy on the eye and has
a lovely singing voice, as well as a commanding presence on stage and a real
connection with her audience. There is no doubt that she is ready for the
professional stage.
Included in the
some 20 songs are I Am What I Am from La Cage aux Folles, Michael Buble’s I Just Haven’t Met You Yet, The Andrews Sisters’ Mr Sandman, the Scissor Sisters’ I Don’t
Feel like Dancin’, Queen’s Somebody
to Love, the Bee Gees’ Staying Alive, Elton John’s Crocodile Rock
and Bryan Adams’ I Do It For You.
All involved in this production have worked hard and with a
considerable amount of passion
and dedication to get it onto the stage. The result is a show that is a great
big bundle of fun. The sense of accomplishment and enjoyment it radiates is
palpable and very infectious. There is no doubt that the Westville Theatre Club
deserves all the support it can get.
Sleeping Beauty can be seen this coming weekend at the
Club’s Theatre in St James Road, Westville, from December 10 to 12 with
performances on Friday at 20h00, Saturday at 15h00 and 20h00 and on Sunday at
16h00. Tickets R80pp booked on 083 375 661. It is a supper theatre-style
production so BYO food and drink. – Keith Millar
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