Christmas Pantomime: Sleeping Beauty

Adapted:
By Solange Kindermann

Age group:
Adults and children

Cast:
Twelve people: Fairy God mother plus three Good Fairies, Evil Fairy, King and Queen, Nanny, Jester, Princess Beauty, Prince Michael of Morovia and Minstrel.

Extras:
Local choir of school children (if possible). They may come dressed up as they like to the ‘Christening’ and the ball at the end of pantomime e.g. some of the children dressed up as: Men in Black, Little Red Riding Hood, Pirates, Elves and others.

Duration:
The play usually takes thirty to forty minutes. It depends on the actors and audience interaction, and if songs are repeated or added.

Costumes:
Use your imagination, the more outrageous the costumes, the better.

Guidelines:

• The pantomime is supported by music and spectacle with an emphasis on audience participation.
• Actors should learn the lines by heart and enunciate correctly in loud and clear voices.
• The Nanny should be outrageously dressed; preferably played by a man in drag.
• Stage: In the first act a crib or a wicker basket decorated like a crib will suffice.
• Stage: In the second act there should be a bed for Sleeping Beauty; the other members of the court are asleep on the floor everywhere.

Stage Hands:
3 or 4 will be required. Delegate tasks and rehearse pantomime at least half a dozen times. This is an informal pantomime so the stage setting is up to you; whatever is available.

Tasks to be delegated:

• Find a narrator or MC, it must be an enthusiastic person to prompt the audience to applaud, boo, and sing as required.
• Allocate people to initiate the singing and encourage the audience to sing-along (also to prompt the children’s choir if available).
• Allocate someone to be in charge of music accompaniment (to start and finish in time).
• Have someone print the lyrics of songs played in the Pantomime for the audience.
• Have someone create Christmas Carols Lyrics booklets (in large font) for carol singing at the end of the play.

Songs

• Can you feel the Love Tonight?
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQeAKFcANHk
• Walking on Sunshine
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnkZr4An1pQ
• Burning Love
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGvMeP61I88

Sets:
Two sets

First Act: The Christening

Narrator or MC:

Hello everybody, Merry Christmas ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls. Here we are for our annual pantomime. This year we have a tale of betrayal, deceit and triumphant love! The great story of Sleeping Beauty will be recounted in glorious detail...

Once upon a time long ago, in the faraway land of Arcadia, there lived a king and his fair queen. For many years they had longed for a child and finally their wish was granted. A baby daughter was born. The royal couple was so happy they proclaimed a holiday so all the people in the kingdom could pay homage to the baby princess.

(The King enters the stage and the Queen follows him with the baby in her arms.)

King: I am so happy with my precious daughter. I want the whole world to know her!
Queen: Yes, let’s have a big party and invite everybody to the Christening!
King: Let’s first find a Nanny for our daughter! Give me a phone!

(Jester hands the King a mobile).

King:
Hello, is this the Jack & Jill Nanny Service?
We need …. What?
She is here already?
But I haven’t finished talking!

(Suddenly, the Nanny enters with a small overnight bag. She croons over the baby)

Nanny: Oh my goodness, God Bless her! We will be the best of friends, won’t we?
King: Do you have any experience with infants?
Nanny: Oh yes, your Majesty, plenty… let’s see… I nannied for Princess Leia from Star Wars… and for all of Ali Baba’s children!
King: That’s nonsense, but we’ll take you anyway; there is no time to look for someone else’s. The Christening of our daughter has been arranged, please make sure all are welcome.
Nanny: Sure, Your Majesty.

(Nanny turns to Jester and asks)

Nanny: Who are you?

(The jester answers with affectation.)

Jester: For your information I am the Jester and remember I was here waaayyyy before you!
Nanny: Shut up before I lose my patience. Do you have an invitation list?
Jester: Don’t order me around, you horizontally challenged creature. Like I said I was here first. Yes, I have a list right here.

(He takes out a narrow paper list about 2 meters long. Nanny takes the list out of his hands abruptly.)

Nanny: All right, give it to me. I will say the names and you say ‘tick’ if invitation was sent.
Nanny: Have we invited all the fairies in the kingdom?
Jester: Tick
Nanny: His Lordship the Mayor?
Jester: Tick
Nanny: Men in Black?
Jester: Tick
Nanny: Batman?
Jester: Tick
Nanny: Hansel and Gretel?
Jester: Tick.
Nanny: Shush! Here are our guests arriving!

(Enter the guests dressed in whatever costumes and then enter the three fairies and Fairy Godmother. Fairies approach the crib, one by one, waving the wand.)

First Fairy: Baby Princess I bestow upon you rare beauty!
Second Fairy: I bequeath thee the gift of music, that you may sing like a nightingale!
Third Fairy: From me you will have wisdom and kindness!

(Fairy Godmother is about to give her gift when a shrieking laugh is heard and the Evil Fairy makes a dramatic entrance. Accompany the laugh with drums for more dramatic effect. Audience boos and whistles.)

Nanny: Who are you?

(Evil Fairy, pointing the finger at the audience)

Evil Fairy:
Silence you mortals!
You, You and you…
Or I will strike you dumb
For this Christening I have come!

(Audience boos)

Queen: Who is this horrible creature?
Nanny: It is Lady gaga!
Fairy Godmother:
She is of fairy birth…
Evil Fairy is her name
But to all her fairy sisters,
she only brings shame

(Evil Fairy interrupts the conversation and addresses Fairy Godmother)

Evil Fairy:
Who cares what you think?
My spell shall be strong and slinky
Unless I receive an explanation
Of what happened to my invitation!
Nanny: It got lost in post, dearest!
Evil Fairy: Excuses! How dare you!
Queen: I am sorry you didn’t get an invitation. I feel terrible.
Evil Fairy:
Don’t worry; you will soon feel worse!
For my gift will be a… CURSE!
Nanny: You can’t do that to our beautiful baby!
Evil Fairy:
SILENCE!
The Princess will grow up with beauty and grace
But, before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday
She shall prick her finger on a needle and DIE!
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
King: Oh no! How can we save our baby?
Fairy Godmother: I may be able to help. I haven’t as yet granted my gift. So here it goes

(waving her wand)

Fairy Godmother:
This new young baby
That we all cherish
She must not suffer
She must not perish

The spell must change
We will not weep
On pricking her thumb
She will simply sleep!
Nanny: Oh, just a snooze… that is much better!
Fairy Godmother: She will sleep for one hundred years!

(Oh… Ah… from audience is heard. Fairy God mother walks to King and Queen).

Fairy Godmother:
Don’t despair your Majesty.
The Princess will wake up
When a wandering Prince
Surreptitiously shows up
Nanny: Yes! Let’s sing a song and celebrate the princess’ life!

(Audience sings: 'Can you feel the love tonight' sung by audience and stage actors.)

Interval (Optional)

Second Act: Evil Fairy Tricks the Princess

Narrator:

And so Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, the Princess grew into a lovely girl, kind and wise beyond her years ... until one day...

(The Princess and Nanny are sitting on a bed looking at TV magazine and choosing programs for the week ahead.)

Nanny: What shall we see tonight? How about; “How to be a Millionaire”?
Princess: Oh no! I prefer “Dancing with the Starts”

(There is a knock on the door; it is Evil Fairy disguised as a witch.)

Nanny: Who’s there?
Evil Fairy: A lady in need of shelter!

(Audience boos and shouts "No, don't let her in...")

Princess: Come in dear!

(Evil Fairy comes in and sits down, takes an embroidery hoop from a bag and starts embroidering.)

Princess: What are you doing?
Evil Fairy: I am embroidering a handkerchief for the queen!
Princess: How kind of you. May I try?

(Evil Fairy passes the embroidery to her lap.)

Evil Fairy: Of course my dear. This is how it is done: Just hold the circle with one hand and the needle with the other hand.

(Evil Fairy suddenly jumps up and screams.
Alarmed, the Princess stabs her finger on the needle.)

Princess: Ouch! I pricked my finger! Oh, I feel so sleepy!

(Princess slumps on the bed)

Nanny: Oh, no! This is not happening!

(She turns to Evil Fairy)

Nanny: Who are you?
Evil Fairy:
Ah… Ah… Ah… Ah… Ah… Ah…
Behold, the evil deed’s been done
So, be quiet everyone!

(She says turning to the audience)

Evil Fairy:
So sorry, but your little friend
Has met a most untimely end
Spin the flax, wind the thread
Princess Beauty will soon be DEAD!

(audience boos)

(Dark music is played, Evil Fairy leaves the stage. The King, queen and minstrel come in).

King: My darling daughter, how did it happen?
Nanny: I am sorry, the Evil Fairy tricked us.
Queen: Oh dear, she will sleep for a hundred years! What will become of her when she wakes? None of us will be alive to comfort her!

(The Fairy Godmother comes in.)

Fairy Godmother:
Because you love this child so well,
I will grant a wish and make a spell.
For a hundred years this court will slumber
Except for one of your number!
Everybody: What! Who?
Fairy Godmother:
Calm, it will be his bounden duty
To tell the tale of Beauty
And not to let the legend die…
Cause, there aren’t many Princes riding by.
King: Who have you chosen for this task?
Fairy Godmother:
I need a man with powers of narration,
So the Minstrel here is my nomination

(she walks towards the Minstrel)

Jester: What about me? I would be more suitable. I can get the story told!
Nanny: Be quiet! You couldn’t get yourself out of a paper bag!

(The King goes to the Minstrel)

King:
Will you keep the legend alive?
Will you pass on the story of our daughter? Minstrel:
Though on this mission, I shall grow old
The tale of the Princess must be told.
Worry no more my good King
The Princess’s tale I’ll pass to a Prince

(Fairy Godmother waves her wand in circles she begins her spell)

Fairy Godmother:
I touch you all with dust of keep...

Nanny Interrupts Fairy Godmother

Nanny: Can we sing a song? After all we won't sing again for a hundred years!
Fairy Godmother: All right, let's sing together.

('Walking on Sunshine' is sung by stage actors and audience)

(Dramatic music fills the room, and Fairy Godmother waves her Wand in circles and everybody falls asleep)

Fairy Godmother:
I touch you all with dust of keep
And faithful watch you start to sleep
(To the audience) I beg you all, please calm your fears
They will only sleep for a hundred years.

(Audience applauds)

Third Act : Sleeping Beauty and the Prince

Narrator:

And so ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the whole court started the slumber. The years passed and everybody forgot about Princess Beauty, sleeping peacefully in her castle. A thick thorn forest grew around the castle until one day, a handsome Prince on a day out hunting found himself lost in the woods surrounding the castle. He was rather relieved when suddenly he spots a Minstrel!

(At this point, all people on stage lay asleep while the focus is shifted to a corner of the stage where the scene with the Prince and Minstrel takes place. This scene should have some green vegetation mimicking a forest e.g. banana leaves, pot plants, small tree branches. The Minstrel sits with his guitar when the Prince approaches him.)

Prince: Hi my good man, I am lost in these woods; do you know to whom they belong?
Minstrel: Well Sir, you are in the land of Arcadia. I was the royal Minstrel for the King.
Prince: Where?
Minstrel: AH… the castle lies beyond the thorn woods where the entire court has slept for a hundred years waiting for a Prince!
Prince: I’m Prince Michael of Monrovia!

(The Minstel bows to the Prince.)

Minstrel:
Your Highness,
A century has passed, in such a short time,
Now the time is here, when I must do my duty
Sleeping Beauty must wake… a kiss it will take
From a Prince passing by and her destiny draws nigh!
Prince: Is it true? I get to kiss a beautiful girl?
Minstrel: Good Luck Prince!

(The Prince goes to where the Princess Beauty lays and kisses her face. The Princess yawing awakes.)

Princes Beauty: Who are you?
Prince: I’m Prince Michael of Monrovia; I was destined to wake you up with a kiss.

(Enters Fairy Godmother, who speaks excitedly)

Fairy Godmother:
The Prince has broken the spell
The rest of the court shall awake as well

(The court awakes except for the Nanny.)

Jester: Nanny, wake up!!

(Nanny wakes up and sees the prince)

Nanny: Oh my! Is that Leonardo de Caprio?

(Name may be replaced by someone from your facility known for his good looks!)

(Nanny goes to the Prince and Princess who are holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes)

Nanny:
Look at these two little birds!
They are in love!!
Let’s sing a song in their honour!

(Audience and everybody on stage sing ‘Burning Love’.)

When song ends, and the stage is empty, the children’s choir and elves stand on the stage and start singing Christmas Carols.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!