February 2025

Kintbury St. Mary's Drama Group are proud to presentSleeping Beauty
by Ben CrockerEveryone in the village of Woollycombe is excited for the christening of Princess Aurora, when the bad fairy Carabosse arrives to place a curse on the little baby. Thankfully, good fairy Peaceful is on hand to cast one more spell that will send the entire royal household into suspended sleep. Will anyone find a way to break the curse?Join us for our annual pantomime February half-term 2025. We invite you to cheer the heroes, boo the villains and sing along as we follow this classic fairy tale adventure with a unique panto twist!

Thank you for inviting me to your annual pantomime and for the lovely welcome I received. I always
enjoy my visits to Kintbury and it is lovely to see so many youngsters performing on stage enjoying
themselves. Unfortunately, when I came to the review the show an audience member was taken ill
and collapsed so that the show was stopped at the end of act one. I am glad to hear that the audience
member is now well again and that the rest of the run went off without a hitch. My review therefore
is done from a watching act one live and act two from a video (thank you Elliott for sending that over
to me).
Sleeping Beauty is a lovely traditional pantomime, and the group threw themselves into the
performance with enthusiasm and great camaraderie to tell the story.CASTRoy Hutchings (King Norbert)
I really enjoyed Roy’s portrayal of the King. He had good characterisation, clearly under the thumb of
the queen but with moments where he took control. He had very good line delivery, getting all the
nuances of the lines and corny jokes in with great comic timing. His movement suited the role, and he
was amusing in his physicality. He did really well to remember and recite all the very many rhyming
names of princess Aurora.Stephen Cook (Queen Dorothy)
Stephen really looked the part as Queen Dorothy (the dame) with vibrant gaudy makeup up and
flamboyant dresses. He had had developed good characterisation as the rather dominant queen and
had very good rapport with the audience encouraging them to participate with the goings on. He
moved well around the stage with some lovely slapstick in the messy scene. He spoke and sang with a
low voice rather than adopting the more common falsetto dame vocals, but this did not distract from
his portrayal.Eva Burgess (Princess Aurora)
Eva started the performance as a ballerina in a music box and demonstrated good balance as she was
pirouetted in an arabesque position. She was a very charming princess with a gentle nature and sang
with a lovely vice nicely in tune and with good dynamics. Her duets with Josh who played the prince
were lovely, well balanced and very tuneful. She had good rapport with the other actors, particularly
with Prince Orlando and her father and interacted well with the audience. Eva had good stage
presence and moved well around the stage.Scarlett Rimmer (Kitty)
Although Scarlett had no words, she communicated such a lot with her facial expressions, actions and
reactions. She moved with feline grace and really came into her own in the kitchen messy scene and
in the chase.Alice Bold (Billy: royal butler, stable boy….. general dogsbody)
I really enjoyed Alice’s performance, she had excellent stage presence and delivered the part of “royal
butler and general dogsbody” with bags of character and confidence. She had excellent comic timing,
a good rapport with the audience and perfectly timed her actions and reactions to what was going on
around her. Alice delivered her lines with clarity and excellent projection and sang with good tuning
and dynamics.Erin Fox-Shatford (Hattie)
Erin participated well as a member of the court staff. She spoke a little quietly, and turning a quarter
turn towards the audience to deliver her lines would improve her projection.Josh Stone (Prince Orlando)
Josh had excellent stage presence and energy, carrying himself as one would expect for a royal prince.
His diction was clear, and he projected well both in his spoken lines and in his singing vocals. His
chemistry with Eva the principal girl was very natural, and their duets were lovely, sung with feeling
and expression.Kathryn Bowers (Carabosse)
Kathryn made a very good baddy and was fierce and evil in her portrayal.
She was totally believable in the part, commanding the stage and getting the boos she deserved every
time she entered the stage. She managed the audience very well giving as good as she got and
interacted very well with Spindleshanks her cat to make an evil double-act. She also sang well and in
character.Emily Archer (Spindleshanks) Evil talking cat
I really enjoyed Emily’s performance, and she looked very comfortable playing a baddie. She was
wicked and menacing, but a delicious element of humour and a twinkle in her eye. She had excellent
characterisation and physicality and moved across the stage with purpose and menace.
Emily also supported the lady who had collapsed and her friends until the ambulance came and was
very calm and knowledgeable in her care. They definitely looked to be in good hands.Sam Archer (Fairy Peaceful)
Sam delivered her rhyming lines with warmth and charm, and it was clear that she was a kind fairy. At
times, she got a little lost with her lines, needing prompting which seemed to throw her a bit in act
one. Lines do of course get lost in live performance but try avoiding being too obvious looking to the
prompt and the audience will likely not notice! Sam sang well in her duet “Oom Pah Pah” with
Carabosse, and there was some lovely interaction between the good and the bad fairies.Sam was supported by Millie Blackwell (Fairy Graceful), Aleisha Ramsey (Fairy Beautiful) and Ella
Hughes (Fairy Thoughtful). Together these three gave gentle and kind performances as the other
good fairies. They delivered their lines with grace, and you felt that they really cared about princess
Aurora and her parents.Millie Blackwell, Gabe Bowers, Isla Burgess, Alma Burnage, Mollie Butler, Erin Fox-Shatford, Ella
Hughes, Robert Hughes, Jake Hutchins, Naomi Hutchins, Seren Norman, Aleisha Ramsey and
Andreea Varodin (The Villagers and Zombies)Isla Burgess, Alma Burnage, Robert Hughes and Andreea Varodin (also playing the Servants)Together this group of youngsters gave some great performances singing and dancing and supporting
the principals. Many had step forward lines and they are developing some excellent comic timing and
characterisation. I was particularly impressed by the four who had memorised all of Princess Aurora’s
many names! They performed in front of the tabs during scene changes entertaining the audience
with humorous interactions, singing and dancing. They had learnt very many dances and performed
them with energy and accuracy. The dance routine and chase to “Thriller” was particularly good and
the physical theatre routine with the rope to depict the forest of thorns was very visual and
effectively done.CREATIVESNatalie Ann Riley (Director and Choreographer) with Stephen Cook (Producer)
Working together, Natalie Ann and Stephen created a production which combined some great
performances with imaginatively designed sets and costumes to create an entertaining pantomime. I
am always happy to see youngsters up on stage learning their craft and performing with the adults of
the society and it is clear that under the direction of this team, the youngsters are growing in
confidence in their performances.
The show had been well cast and there was good chemistry and well-developed relationships
between the characters. The principals gave strong performances and were very well supported by
the minor principals and ensemble. The singing and dancing were strong, and all of the cast had good
rapport with the audience with some lovely audience participation.
The action in front of the tabs during scene changes was well designed and made good use of the
space. The youngsters were very funny in their interaction with the audience and although a little
quiet at times, were clearly confident on stage. The choreography for the dances and chase scene was
designed with simple steps which worked well for the numbers and all the cast had mastered the
steps and looked comfortable with them. The zombie thriller dance in particular was a really fun
routine. The band performance of “Dream a Little Dream” with Queen Dorothy on keys, King Norbert
on guitar, Billy on the one-man-band and Princess Aurora singing was a lovely number which
combined an enjoyable musical number with a lot of good humour. The kitchen scene was a highlight
with very cleverly timed appearances of rats coming out of opening flaps and cooking pots much to
the amusement of the audience.
I was very impressed by the way that Natalie Ann (and Emily) handled the crisis when the audience
member collapsed. She was calm and efficient ensuring that the audience member was well cared for
whilst they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Making the decision to cancel act two cannot have
been easy, but was the right thing to do taking the welfare of the cast into account as they had a
second performance later that day.Elliott Riley (Stage Manager)
The stage was well managed with the entrances and exits being kept clear so that the large cast could
access the stage unimpeded. The scene changes were quite lengthy as there were quite a lot of set
pieces to be changed, but in the main part these occurred during action in front of the tabs and so did
not delay the flow of the production.Rachel Hughes, Tegan Scapens and Lisa Bullock (Chaperones)
With most of the cast being of chaperone age, it is essential to have chaperones to supervise the
youngsters both on and off stage. This was particularly important considering the crisis that occurred,
and I am sure that everyone was glad to have experienced chaperones on hand to ensure that the
youngsters were kept safe.The Glitter Cannons (Set Design Team) Phil Day and Elliott Riley with support of (Set build Crew)
Steve Bowers, Stephen Cook, Alastair Day, Ben Hutchings, Sam Mildenhall,
Natalie Ann Riley and Rosemary TrigwellThe home-built set was well designed with lots of acting locations. The musical box with a large key
winder which was featured at the beginning was a nice touch and a lovely introduction to the
pantomime. The kitchen set with a painted backdrop with shelves, kitchen counter and oven
was especially fine with a lot of attention to detail. The opening flaps in the kitchen through which the
rats kept appearing were very effective. The village scene with the castle in the background was also
very effective again with a lot of attention to detail and gave perspective to the set.Ben Hutchings (Lighting)
The stage was well lit with no areas in shadow. The green lighting used when Carabosse and
Spindleshanks were on stage was very effective and gave a sinister look to the set. Equally the lighting
for the zombie dance and chase scenes added to the atmosphere.Ian Robinson (Sound Design)
The sound cues were well chosen and well timed. The tinkling effect for casting of spells was perfectly
timed and the choices of music were effective and used well in the scene changes. In general, the
sound was well balanced between the singers and the tracks, although just at the beginning the music
was a little on the loud side.Lynette Newey, Karen Robinson, Mo Osbourne and Claire McCorquodale (Costumes)
The costumes were very good using lots of colours, and some lovely features. The costumes for the
ensemble were bright and well-co-ordinated and their costumes for the zombies suitably drab. The
dame had a good array of flamboyant dresses, and the king and royal staff looked very fine in red and
black. There was a good contrast between the good fairies and Carabosse using pastels for the good
and black for the bad. The make up for the dame and the cats was effective and very nicely designed.Phil Day (Properties)
There were a lot of good props especially in the kitchen scene. The pots and pans were effective and
the multitude of rats very comical. The one-man-band and the spinning wheel were very impressive
and the trailing ivy that grew over the king and queen’s thrones effective in showing that a lot of time
had passed.Thank you one again for inviting me and although I only managed to see act one live, it was an
enjoyable afternoon and I enjoyed watching act two on the video. Congratulations on the rest of your
run and here’s to next year!Cate
NODA London District 13 Representative

February 2024

Show Report
It was a great pleasure to join you again for your annual pantomime and to experience the wonderful family and community support for the group. There was so much enthusiasm from the entire cast of 18 children and 7 adults as they performed Jack and the Beanstalk together.CastJosh Stone (Jack Trot) was super in the role of principal boy playing the cheerful son of the Dame with a big smile and lots of enthusiasm. He had clear speech and a good singing voice. He had lots of energy and seemed to be enjoying being on stage giving a very confident performance.Ian Robinson (Dame Trot) really looked the part as the Dame with super makeup, costumes, and wigs. He had good movement around the stage and a good rapport with the audience. Although he did not use the typical falsetto voice synonymous with a pantomime Dame, he delivered his lines and corny jokes in character. He spoke his songs in rhythm rather than singing and between him and the pianist cleverly turned his slight loss of rhythm into part of the performance to the amusement of the audience.Eva Burgess (Simone, Jack’s sister), was engagingly and naturally played by Eva who managed to encourage plenty of audience participation from the outset with her calls for encouragement to be brave. She had lovely clear diction and bags of character.Shawn Archer and Claire McCorquodale (Daisy the Cow) Together, these two made a delightfully funny Daisy, they had great physicality and comic timings and some brilliant facial expressions. The milking parlour scene complete with lots of ‘pull the udder one jokes’ where a member of the audience was brought up onto stage to milk her was hilarious.Stephen Cook (King Bertram) gave a good portrayal of the rather absent minded and ineffectual King. On occasions he seemed a little hesitant with his lines, but this worked for the character. Stephen looked the part and engaged well with the other actors in their quest to free the princess.Isla Meaney (Princess) This young lady simply shone on stage with a winning smile and she performed with energy and pace. She was the perfect modern heroine, playing the principal girl with sass and a dose of vigour. Isla’s singing was superb with lovely tone and dynamics.Alice Bold (Trumpet) I really loved Alice’s performance. She had excellent comic timing, and great physicality and facial expressions. She was perfect as the King’s knave and was absolutely in control of the proceedings. The scene where she was an eavesdropping tree was brilliantly done.Samantha Archer (Edena the Eco Fairy) entered gracefully in her green and natural looking costume to give us the introduction to the pantomime. She had a warmth and charm about her character which contrasted well with the baddies. Samantha narrated throughout in perfectly timed rhyming verse. She had a good singing voice and balanced well with Slimeball in the audience participation song ‘Walla Walla Bing Bang’. She was supported by fairies Seren Astley and Alma Burnage who moved with grace around the stage.Emily Archer (Slimeball) as the baddie and henchman of the giant managed the audience well responding perfectly to all the booing. She was actually quite a nice baddie and maybe could have developed her meanness a bit more in the part. Emily managed her rhyming lines well and her relationship with Edena the good fairy was very well played. She had very clear diction in both her spoken lines and in her singing and was confident on stage.Alex Meaney (Giant Blundebore) was gruff and menacing which worked well for the role of the giant. Being a tall adult with a cast made up mostly of children helped to emphasise that he was a scary
giant. Alex coped extremely well when things didn’t go according to plan with the stealing of his keys, moving in his chair so that eventually they could be untied.Scarlett Rimmer (Ghost) The spooky ghost dance was a great routine and Scarlett’s entrances and exits onto the forestage to scare the Dame and her friends were perfectly timed.VillagersOscar Archer, Seren Astley, Isla Burgess, Alma Burnage, Gabe Bowers, Jake Hutchins, Leo Hutchins, Naomi Hutchins, Kathryn Bowers, Lisa Bullock, Brooke Lawrence, Kendra Matthews, Maisie Mildenhall, Billy Mildenhall, Scarlett Rimmer and Erin Fox-Shatford
The large ensemble of youngsters accompanied by two of the chaperones on stage were a colourful group of villagers who added good support to the principals. Many had step forward lines which they delivered well. Together, they sang with confidence with many of the group taking solo lines in the songs. They all danced with energy and obvious enjoyment.The Goblin EliteBilly Mildenhall (Sarge), Kendra Matthews (Goblin Smith), Maisie Mildenhall (Goblin Jones), Erin Fox Shatford (Goblin Chetwyn Douglas-Scott),
Led by Sarge, the team of the goblin elite worked very well together, delivering their lines with clarity and moving on stage with confidence.The Trainee GoblinsOscar Archer, Seren Astley, Isla Burgess, Alma Burnage, Gabe Bowers, Jake Hutchins, Leo Hutchins, Naomi Hutchins
The trainees entered from the hall and marched up onto the stage in synchronicity to the well-known US Marine chant “I don’t know but I’ve been told’. They were very amusing as they ‘shook’ in line and delivered their spoken lines and corny jokes with panache. They had excellent comic timing and it was great to see how confident even the youngest actors were.CreativesNatalie Ann Riley (Director/Choreographer) assisted by Joanna Dewey (Producer)
Together, the Director and Producer had clearly worked very hard to bring together all the very many elements required to manage a show of this size with such a large junior cast, which they did with great success.
The show had been well cast, and Natalie had developed the chemistry between the principal actors both young and older so that they were very natural together. The cast effectively brought out all the humour of the script delivering the corny pantomime jokes and innuendos perfectly and engaging the audience to participate in the fun. It is quite a challenge to work with such a young cast, but it definitely paid off and it was lovely to see the youngsters performing so confidently on-stage developing skills that they will employ for years to come.
Natalie had designed some of the action to take place in front of the tabs including the ghost dance and the audience participations song which worked effectively to cover the necessary changes taking place behind without losing any continuity of action.
The choreography was designed with simple steps which the cast danced very well, and it was clear that everyone knew the routines and were enjoying them.Matthew Trigwell (Pianist) accompanied the cast songs on the piano at the front of the stage, as well as playing the underscore and some of the sound effects. The group all sang really well together and the smiles on their faces and obvious enjoyment when they sang were fantastic. It was clear that Matt was enjoying himself and his interaction with the Dame when things went slightly amiss added to the humour. I am sure that having Matt close on hand to support them gave confidence to all the singers both young and old.Elliott Riley (Stage Manager) assisted by Georgina Mildenhall
The stage was well managed with the entrances and exits being kept clear so that the large cast could access the stage unimpeded, and Elliott succeeded in ensuring that the show ran smoothly from start to finish. I am sure that the director and cast were reassured to have such an experienced manager backstage supporting them.Kathryn Bowers, Charlotte Bullock and Lisa Bullock (Chaperones)
With so many children in the cast and it is essential to have the support of chaperones and for this show, two of the chaperones accompanied the youngsters on stage, even singing a solo each. There were many different entrance points and movement within the hall, and along with the stage manager, the chaperones ensured that they were supervised and safe at all times.Phil Day (Set Design and Props Manager) assisted by Shawn Archer, Joanna Dewey, Stephen Cook, Ben Hutchings, Roy Hutchings, Georgina Mildenhall, Sam Mildenhall, Elliott Riley, Natalie Ann Riley (Set Build Crew)
I really liked the door effect at the beginning between the tabs which cleverly gave the impression that we were entering a book for the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. In the first act, the set was designed and painted as a village scene and as Dame Trot’s dairy. In the second act, we were transported to the giant’s kitchen up in the clouds and back to the village. The set had been well designed and painted to effectively show each location whilst leaving a good-sized acting space. The rising beanstalk at the end of act one added to the scene and was very effective and impressive. There were a good number of props which added to the action and in particular, the three-legged milking stool and milk bucket were very authentic in the dairy. The giant’s harp and chicken with a very large golden egg were also very effective.Ben Hutchings (Lighting and Sound)
The lighting and sound were well run with the stage well-lit in all areas. There was a good use of coloured lighting in the hall and the strobe lighting was very effective in the chase scene. The sound effects were well cued and the sound between the keyboard and singers well balanced.Mo Osbourne (Costume Mistress) assisted by Lynette Newey and Karen Robinson
The costumes were super and very effective. The villagers were very colourful and well-co-ordinated and the Dame had a fine set of dresses and wigs. I really liked the contrast between Edena’s natural colours and nature effect and Slimeball’s ‘steam punk look’ It accentuated the good and the bad. The giant dressed in a shabby suit was reminiscent of Roal Dahl’s BFG which suited his demeanor.

February 2023

Kintbury St. Mary's Drama Group

Kintbury St. Mary's Drama Group was founded in 1972 by Mrs. Christine Millard and Rev. Albert Millard with the mission to bring plays and entertainment to the village of Kintbury. We proudly welcome community members from Kintbury and surrounding villages to join us, with a special emphasis on involving children and teenagers in our annual pantomime.

Our group is inclusive, welcoming everyone from year 1 primary school students to those aged 99 and beyond! Each summer, we hold auditions for the annual pantomime, with rehearsals beginning in September. Rehearsals typically take place on Friday nights, with additional Sunday sessions for song and dance practice. A comprehensive rehearsal schedule is provided to all members before they commit to auditions.The much-anticipated show is performed during the February half-term of the following year.For more information, please contact us.

What do the parents say?

“We had an absolutely wonderful experience at the recent performances featuring both of our daughters, and we’re thrilled to share how memorable it was for our family! The shows were a spectacular display of talent, creativity, and hard work, and we couldn’t be prouder of our girls for their incredible performances and to see just how far they have come in confidence since first joining. From the detailed costumes, fantastic set designs to the cool choreography and genuine heartfelt moments on stage, every detail was thoughtfully executed, making it a joy to watch as parents and audience members alike. The entire annual events were well organised, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere that made us feel truly connected to the local community. Beyond the performances, we also had a fantastic time volunteering behind the scenes in the raffle ticket sales, all for a great cause to be reinvested back into future plays. It was a great opportunity to interact with other families, share in the excitement, and contribute to the success of the event. The enthusiasm and support from everyone involved made it even more special and we couldn’t be more proud to have such a wonderful opportunity here in the village.”
Debbie & Tim Burgess“The Kintbury panto is a fantastic way for children to get involved with a village tradition while having lots of fun and learning new skills. It boosts their confidence and brightens up the dark autumn and winter nights too!”
Maria Ainley-Taylor“My son absolutely loves attending Kintbury St Mary's Drama group every year. It's like a family where everyone is welcome. Like-minded people of all ages work together as a team to put on incredible productions each year & creativity is wholly encouraged. My son has been attending since he was 6 years old and it has boosted his confidence immensely. This will only help him with any future endeavours. I highly recommend Kintbury Drama Group to anyone who wishes to gain experience in performing.”
Nat Stone“Both of my children joined KSMDG in September after moving to the villager. They were made to feel welcome and quickly made friends in the group. Natalie ensured the rehearsals were fun and the children's well-being was always given the highest priority. They loved the experience and are both looking forward to the next one!”
Rachel Hughes“My nine-year-old daughter has been with KSMDG for two years and absolutely loves it! She gets to dance, sing, act, and engage with a wide range of people. The group is a well-run, professional organisation, offering a fantastic opportunity for children to grow, express themselves, and gain confidence through performance.”
Sian Astley“My children love being a part of the Kintbury drama group and putting on a show for the community. With all the help and support to do the performances it makes me as a parent very proud for my children to be a part of the village drama shows.”
Lucy Hutchins

Join the Group

There are lots of ways to get involved in drama.Performing
Are you keen to find out more?
Would you like to take part in the 2025/2026 pantomime?Child Chaperone
Do you hold an enhanced DBS certificate, have experience and love working with children. We need chaperones to support our cast during rehearsals and throughout the performance period.Front of House
Are you able to support the group helping at performances at the box office, managing the raffle or serving refreshments?Set Building
Do you have carpentry skills or handy with a paint brush?Costume
Perhaps you are a talented seamstress or nifty with a needle?Make-Up
Can you use those glamourising skills to bring our Dame to life OR are you a talented face painter? - often required in panto.Lighting & Sound Operators
Are you wired to tackle the technical challenges with spot on timing?If you are interested in joining or would like to know more please contact us today.