Winter in Otago - Sleeping Beauty at the Playhouse

If you slept for a hundred years — it might not be so bad if everyone else had fallen asleep with you – and when you woke up you found your prince waiting.

In the Dunedin Repertory Society Children’s Theatre production of Sleeping Beauty, there are many reasons to celebrate when Princess Briar Rose awakes. The Royal Housekeeper might like to complain about cleaning up all the cobwebs, but she never really minds getting ready for a party.

The cast of 30 enthusiastically sing and dance their way through all the special occasions in a princess’s life. But celebrations don’t always go as planned, like The Christening when an angry Maleficent the 13th Fairy arrives unexpectedly, or her 16th birthday when some very unusual princes arrive, seeking Briar Rose’s hand in marriage.

While the traditional story is all there, writers Christine Colbert, Sharon Young, and Jill Moore have created many new characters to keep the audience amused. Desperately seeking a princess to marry, Prince Rialto and Prince Regent are keen to cut down the giant trees around the castle, and two very determined princesses (Regina and Regatta) are relentlessly pursuing poor Prince Carlos. Some fairy magic courtesy of the Lilac Fairy may well be required to sort out the chaos.

Sleeping Beauty with original songs by Danny Still, is directed by Christine Colbert with choreography by Sharon Young and musical direction by Dylan Shield.

It opens at the Playhouse on Saturday July 10 and runs until Sunday July 18. Shows are at 11am and 2pm daily, except for the opening weekend and final Sunday, which are 2pm only. All tickets are $8 - answer phone bookings can be made on (03) 477-6544, or visit the Facebook page to book.