Moorlight's Sleepy Beauty was a fairytale to remember...

Review by Sophie Lang

Sleeping Beauty presented by Moorlight, was an original script by David Titchener, who was also the Director. It saw Street-based Moorlight have its biggest cast for a number of years and sell out shows!!

Derek the Dragon in all his glory

Our fairytale started in June when we had an amazing amount of auditionees come along to the workshops of Sleeping Beauty. Moorlight wanted to give everybody the chance to be in the show, but it must have been the first time ever that the costume department were feeling nervous before the cast had been set, with the amount of children they were going to cater for.  

David Titchener (Titch) the script writer and director could see the potential in so many people and so created a few extra characters...this was the first of many version updates to the script!!!...and a few trees may have been harmed in the process of this pantomime. 

Sadly, Titch, who was our prize-winning Dame from last year had to step back from being Dame this year due to health reasons. His good friend Gary stepped up and into the frocks, but he knew he had big boots to fill. Now Titch hates him for being too good 😁

Rehearsals came with their ups and downs...one particular one saw the Director ask the Fairies to cross THE line. The fairies were cross to be asked to cross the line. The Director went to the oracles of pantomime for a VAR decision. The Director won and THE line was crossed...but it got noted...!!

Three weeks before the show Derek the Dragon was created. Lorien, our imaginative Props man, set about bringing Derek to life. Over 1,200 scales were hand cut, painted and individually sewn to Derek's body. He even had his own trailer to transport him to the theatre...The effect on stage was breath taking, with the Collins family simulating the dragon’s moves. Derek was certainly the star of the show. 

Moorlight was set about the task of finding four tea chests for the sketch of ‘12 days of Christmas’. No rehearsals were allowed for this sketch, but the chaos when performed on stage proved to be a hit of the show.

Here's our version:

On the first day of panto our director gave to us.....

1 Handmade dragon called Derek

2 Dancing cats

3 Magical fairies

4 Bowls of slime

5 Weeks of set building

6 Sell out shows

7 Dame outfits

8 Dance routines

9 90 minutes of act one

10 Ballroom dancers

11 Animal costumes

12 versions of the script

We hope you enjoyed our show and review 😁

Derek in creation

Derek being created