Winner of the Rose Bowl Award for the Perryway Players in 2017
"Every pantomime needs a good villain, and this show has four. Once upon a pantomime is lots of your favourite pantomimes smashed into a single story. Good, clean family entertainment." (Review of the Marlow Theatre Players)
"Every pantomime needs a good villain, and this show has four. Once upon a pantomime is lots of your favourite pantomimes smashed into a single story. Good, clean family entertainment." (Review of the Marlow Theatre Players)
This is a very original pantomime based on the stories of the Brothers Grimm. The plot features characters from Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretal, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella and the Brave Little Tailor. Three particularly unpleasant witches, together with Rumpelstiltskin plan to remove all of the princes from Fairyland so that there will be no-one to stop them in their bid to rule the Kingdom. They are foiled by Dame Rosy Parker (nosy to her friends) and the comedy duo Timmy Tailor and Tommy Tinker. There are plenty of laughs with a magic wishing well which sprays water and a slapstick ladder scene, as well as an unexpected twist when the mysterious fairy godmother finally appears.
Male – 6
Female – 9
Male or female – 3
Junior – 9 (7 with doubling)
There are also small speaking parts for chorus members. As with all pantomime many of these parts could be played by male or female of any age. This is a particularly good pantomime for a larger group with a number of juniors who can take small speaking parts.
Excerpt
Prologue – The Cave of Despair
A black tab scene with green lighting and smoke. Rumpelstiltskin is centre stage holding a large staff.
Rumpelstiltskin: Come forth mistresses of evil. Come to me here in the Cave of Despair. Do not leave me alone here with these ugly gremlins (indicates audience). See how the fools boo me! Come my old friends and let us make sweet wickedness together.
There is a flash and Mother Hemlock enters DR.
Hemlock: Who calls Mother Hemlock here to this dark place? Oh it’s you! I thought you were dead.
Rumpelstiltskin: Thank you very much! Don’t’ worry, I’m back. There’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Hemlock: Dog is right. You always were a nasty piece of work.
Rumpelstiltskin: Thank you, it’s not like you to pay me such a delightful compliment.
There is a second flash and Poison Ivy enters DL.
Ivy: Who calls Poison Ivy here to this cave?
Hemlock: Don’t worry Ivy, it’s only him!
Ivy: Goodness, I thought you were dead.
Rumpelstiltskin: I’m sensing a bit of a theme here. I’m not that old you know!
Ivy: Sorry, I was fooled by your wrinkly looks.
Rumpelstiltskin: Actually I’ve discovered the secret of eternal youth – I just lie about my age.
There is a crash from the back of the hall and Belladonna enters, walking through the audience as she speaks.
Belladonna: Who calls Belladonna to this terrible place?
Ivy: No-one special.
Hemlock: It’s only thingamajig here.
Belladonna: (Climbing onto the stage) I thought you were…
Rumpelstiltskin: Yes I know – dead.
Belladonna: I was going to say I thought you were married.
Rumpelstiltskin: Dead will do just fine.
Belladonna: (Wrinkling her nose) I smell something horrible.
Hemlock: I can recommend a good deodorant.
Rumpelstiltskin: She’s right, there’s a nasty pong coming from somewhere.
(They all look at the soles of their feet)
Belladonna: I think it might be…an audience! (Points to audience)
Rumpelstiltskin: I wondered why they were so ugly.
Ivy: I hate audiences.
Belladonna: I can’t bear them. Just see them there looking so nice, with party dresses and ribbons in their hair – and that’s just the boys.
Hemlock: The sooner we get out of here the better.
Ivy: Why are we here anyway?
Rumpelstiltskin: I was coming to that. I was thinking that we would get a lot further if we pooled our resources.
Ivy: You can keep your resources to yourself.
Rumpelstiltskin: What I mean is that if you three horrible hags work with me I can show you how to banish all that yucky goodness and ensure that Fairyland is bad through and through. Then between us we will rule the land.
Hemlock: That sounds an excellent idea.
Belladonna: The trouble is that every time we try to do something wicked or destroy a sweet little princess, some handsome prince comes along and undoes all of our magic.
Rumpelstiltskin: Exactly! So all we need to do is to combine our magic to get rid of all of the princes and there will be no-one to stop us.
Ivy: You’re a genius!
Rumpelstiltskin: And you’re a warty witch, but enough of stating the obvious. We have work to do. Come! (They all exit DR, laughing evilly).
Male – 6
Female – 9
Male or female – 3
Junior – 9 (7 with doubling)
There are also small speaking parts for chorus members. As with all pantomime many of these parts could be played by male or female of any age. This is a particularly good pantomime for a larger group with a number of juniors who can take small speaking parts.
Excerpt
Prologue – The Cave of Despair
A black tab scene with green lighting and smoke. Rumpelstiltskin is centre stage holding a large staff.
Rumpelstiltskin: Come forth mistresses of evil. Come to me here in the Cave of Despair. Do not leave me alone here with these ugly gremlins (indicates audience). See how the fools boo me! Come my old friends and let us make sweet wickedness together.
There is a flash and Mother Hemlock enters DR.
Hemlock: Who calls Mother Hemlock here to this dark place? Oh it’s you! I thought you were dead.
Rumpelstiltskin: Thank you very much! Don’t’ worry, I’m back. There’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Hemlock: Dog is right. You always were a nasty piece of work.
Rumpelstiltskin: Thank you, it’s not like you to pay me such a delightful compliment.
There is a second flash and Poison Ivy enters DL.
Ivy: Who calls Poison Ivy here to this cave?
Hemlock: Don’t worry Ivy, it’s only him!
Ivy: Goodness, I thought you were dead.
Rumpelstiltskin: I’m sensing a bit of a theme here. I’m not that old you know!
Ivy: Sorry, I was fooled by your wrinkly looks.
Rumpelstiltskin: Actually I’ve discovered the secret of eternal youth – I just lie about my age.
There is a crash from the back of the hall and Belladonna enters, walking through the audience as she speaks.
Belladonna: Who calls Belladonna to this terrible place?
Ivy: No-one special.
Hemlock: It’s only thingamajig here.
Belladonna: (Climbing onto the stage) I thought you were…
Rumpelstiltskin: Yes I know – dead.
Belladonna: I was going to say I thought you were married.
Rumpelstiltskin: Dead will do just fine.
Belladonna: (Wrinkling her nose) I smell something horrible.
Hemlock: I can recommend a good deodorant.
Rumpelstiltskin: She’s right, there’s a nasty pong coming from somewhere.
(They all look at the soles of their feet)
Belladonna: I think it might be…an audience! (Points to audience)
Rumpelstiltskin: I wondered why they were so ugly.
Ivy: I hate audiences.
Belladonna: I can’t bear them. Just see them there looking so nice, with party dresses and ribbons in their hair – and that’s just the boys.
Hemlock: The sooner we get out of here the better.
Ivy: Why are we here anyway?
Rumpelstiltskin: I was coming to that. I was thinking that we would get a lot further if we pooled our resources.
Ivy: You can keep your resources to yourself.
Rumpelstiltskin: What I mean is that if you three horrible hags work with me I can show you how to banish all that yucky goodness and ensure that Fairyland is bad through and through. Then between us we will rule the land.
Hemlock: That sounds an excellent idea.
Belladonna: The trouble is that every time we try to do something wicked or destroy a sweet little princess, some handsome prince comes along and undoes all of our magic.
Rumpelstiltskin: Exactly! So all we need to do is to combine our magic to get rid of all of the princes and there will be no-one to stop us.
Ivy: You’re a genius!
Rumpelstiltskin: And you’re a warty witch, but enough of stating the obvious. We have work to do. Come! (They all exit DR, laughing evilly).