Talented Reading residents from the Shinfield Players are taking to the stage this weekend and next to brighten up our January with a panto version of Sleeping Beauty.
Actors young and old, have been hard at work rehearsing the post-Christmas play which is packed with songs dances, danger and excitement, with a riff on Gladiators thrown in.
What can audiences expect of Sleeping Beauty?
The show tells the story of Beauty, a young woman whose life is in danger and all from a flower …
It starts with King Gustav and Queen Charlotte wanting a child.
When their daughter Rose is born, the evil fairy Ruby casts a spell, saying that before her seventeenth birthday she will prick her finger on her namesake and die.
Although the spell can’t be completely undone one of the three good fairies says Rose, and the Kingdom in which she lives, will fall asleep until she is kissed by her true love.
Will Rose find her true love and be awoken from her slumbers?
This is a slightly different take on the very familiar story that we all know and love – no spinning wheels here, and some of the action involves new characters to ensure as many members of the Shinfield Players can take part in the show.
One of the joys of panto is that you are me never far away from a song, a joke, an interaction or a mention of boiled cabbage. And this Sleeping Beauty has all of these in abundance thanks to its hard-working cast.
Many familiar panto set pieces are present and correct including a chaotic kitchen scene and a spooky moment in the woods.
The Shinfield Players costume department has had a lot of fun creating the outfits the cast wear, with main cast looking very regal and dignified. Younger ensemble members have glorious outfits that help bring this court to life.
The backstage crew have also been busy creating some impressive backdrops that h help create the illusion of where we are in panto land.
When is Sleeping Beauty being performed?
The play is on Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19, and again from Friday, January 24 through to Sunday, January 26.
The performance times are as follows:
- Friday, January 17 – 7pm
- Saturday, January 18 – 2pm and 6.30pm
- Sunday, January 19 – 2pm – this will be a relaxed performance
- Friday, January 24 – 7pm
- Saturday, January 25 – 2pm and 6.30pm
- Sunday, January 26 – 2pm
How much are tickets to Sleeping Beauty?
Tickets cost £18, £11 for children. Concessions are £16, and including senior citizens, students with an NUS card, those on JSA, and others at the discretion of the management.
They can be booked by calling 07482 553923, or log on to TicketSource: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/shinfieldplayerstheatre/sleeping-beauty/e-mboarr
For more on the Shinfield Players, log on to: https://www.shinfieldplayers.org.uk/season-shows/
Get involved with Shinfield Players next production
Agatha Christie is coming to Shinfield this summer, and you could be the one whodunit.
The Shinfield Players are inviting people to audition for parts in their production of And Then There Were None.
The play tells the story of 10 strangers who are summoned to a remote island off the coast of Devon.
Originally published in 1939, it is the world’s best-selling murder mystery – more than 100 million copies have been sold, making it the seventh best-selling title of any language of all time.
Of the work, Agatha Christie said the idea behind it fascinated her.
For details of the auditions, log on to: https://cheeselogs.co.uk/2025/01/13/agatha-christie-shinfield-players/
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