Children's show of animal magic

necropost · 50 words

This is a necropost. A review of a show I performed in, published on page 33 of the Surrey Herald on the 26th of August 1993.

THE cute factor was exceptionally high as 35 children took over Woking’s Rhoda McGaw Theatre last Saturday for the new musical To Rescue A Princess.

With ages ranging from seven to 14, most of the kids were cast as animals, playing such parts as Baby Mouse — still needing assistance to go to the little mouse’s room — and Flea, determined to join the circus.

Written by Nic Paris with help from the cast, the musical was put together in just 10 days as part of NP Productions’ summer drama courses, run in conjunction with Woking Borough Council.

Playing to a full house for both matinee and evening performance, the musical was well written, well cast, well choreographed and well performed.

Andrea Berry as Cylesta, the spoilt sister, gave a sterling foot-stomping display of brattish behaviour. Martin Archer and Antonia Berry as Harold and Heddy Hedgehog very nearly stole the show with their love sick smooching. A platoon of ants, led by Colonel Ant Roxanne Vella gave a wonderful comic interlude as did the busy buzzing of Danny Eden’s bee.

The show was somewhat held together by the older cast members, including an excellent owl (Terry Eden), a convincing princess (Laura Todman) and an evil business woman (Fiona Knight), played with all the venom of the proverbial pantomime baddy which had the audience booing in her wake. Her slapstick side-kicks, Creepy (Sarah Wackett), Crawly (Alastair Baker), Snotty (Ivan Berry) and Raggy (Jesse Hughes) gave full rein to their dim-witted characters.

Congratulations to director Nic Paris who not only managed to work with young children but to work with young children cast as animals — thus proving the old adage wrong on both counts!

By JASON LUNN

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