Why you’ve simply GOT to go and see ’Cinderella and the Beanstalk’

emilylouisehardy
Dec 13, 2014
3 min read

By J Sydney-Leigh

‘Sleeping Trees’ are a 3-handed theatre company that have brought an absolute gem of a pantomime to the London fringe. Devised by the company and directed by Tom Attenborough, the premise is that the 3 theatre managers have in fact forgotten to book the 40 actors for the opening night of their panto. After initial panic subsides, they decide that the show must go on, and assume the task of performing it themselves. Actors James Dunnell-Smith, Joshua George Smith and John Woodburn change out of their suits into colourful onesies that provide the base for a huge array of other costumes, and masterfully multi-role near on 40 well-loved fairy tale characters. This is a simple, yet genial concept, with huge scope for hilarious confusion and improvisation as the managers haphazardly stagger through the show.

Simon A Wells’ set is simple yet effective: the walls of white fluffy clouds on a blue sky and the stage of green grass plant us immediately amidst the pages of storybook land. Large crates on the stage provide hiding places and levels with which the actors can showcase their agility, and they double up as storage for innovative prop-use as one is opened to release a huge expanding beanstalk. If there is proof that pantomime lends itself particularly well to a low budget, this show is it. Any quirks or flaws in the set [the fact that the beanstalk stretches horizontally across the stage, rather than upwards] are addressed by the actors through asides to the audience in comical reminder that imperfections make for perfect interactive entertainment. The audience is theirs from the get-go. The impressive musical score is composed and performed live by Mark Newnham, who commands an array of instruments in a corner of the stage. His music is a huge factor in the success of the show, with its impressively catchy, non-repetitive score and impeccable timing. Teamed with innovative lyrics, the many songs throughout the show bring truly delightful moments to this panto.

The storyline is a mongrel of all the fairy tales you’ve ever heard; yet it carries a strong and exciting narrative. George Smith plays the fabulously funky fairy godmother [cue: oo ah ‘Godmother!’ say oo ah ‘Godmother!’], who is hopelessly in love with ‘Jack who never came back’, a now elderly yet nimble man atop the beanstalk. He proves his versatility as the evil Rumpelstiltskin whose ‘I’m evil and I know it’ solo brings the house down. Dunnell-Smith is perfectly cast as Cinderella: his deadpan reactions remind us that the theatre manager is simmering with rage in his dress, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this’. As the clock strikes midnight at the ball, he hands the prince his glass slipper which conveniently has his address written on the bottom. This candid debunking of the traditional tale is one of the hilarious examples that run back-to-back throughout. A highlight comes when Dunnell-Smith’s character is ready to leave the theatre and go home to his favourite Christmas movie, provoking the other managers to perform a speedy two-handed retelling of ‘Home Alone’ in desperate attempt to make him stay. It is truly side-splitting in its attention to detail. Woodburn is impressively competent is his multiple roles; his forlorn prince doubles up as both the ugly sisters with such precise and abrupt changes of personality that I’m confident he could carry a one-man show of his own.

The hectic excitement of this show will tickle your inner child as much as any real child you bring along as an excuse to come. Reminiscent of The Two Ronnies in is its witty dialogue and skilled slapstick, this is a child-friendly evening that delights with a slick and punchy script rather than tiresomely crude innuendos. ‘Cinderella and the Beanstalk’ is a winning example of how to entertain a room from age 8 to 80. If you see one panto this year, let it be this one. Fully deserving of all the stars, I’ll be seeing it again.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

‘Cinderella and the Beanstalk’ by Sleeping Trees

Writer/ Director – Tom Attenborough

Writers/ Actors – James Dunnell-Smith, Joshua George, John Woodburn

Composer/ Performer – Mark Newnham

Producer – Alice Carter

Set & Costume Designer – Simon A Wells

Lighting Designer – Ali Hunter

Movement Director – Polly Bennett

Photo credit - Ian Kitt

2nd Dec – 10th Jan 2015

Mon – Fri 7pm | Sat 3pm & 7pm | Sun 3pm | Times and dates vary during Christmas period so be advised to check online.