Before going to see this performance, I knew very little about the story of The Tinderbox nor the Banbury Cross Players who told the story beautifully.
The King and Queen of Denmark (Andy Allen & June Ronson) have had their fortune told and understand that their beautiful daughter, the princess (Tara Lacey-Rousou) is to wed a common soldier. So the King rules that all common soldiers should be executed. Then enters our hero - a common soldier back from war trying to make some new friends in a small town. With the help of a friendly beggar he manages to disguise himself and make friends with his new found wealth, but these friends become very fickle when the funds get low. With the help of one of his genuine friends and a tinderbox he has inherited he manages (eventually) to realise his dreams.
This musical play, whilst not a pantomime, did have that sort of feel to it. Our common soldier (played by David Smith) involved the audience, especially the younger members, adapting himself well to the responses he got.
There were a few first night teething problems with items being dropped and I am pretty sure I spotted two scenes which had somehow managed to get reversed, but on the whole, it was a very smooth production.
The script, which was mostly in rhyme, worked well. It was read by both the actors and a team of narrators who worked collectively making the storytelling interesting and fun, as too did the rest of the cast who were all very good performers. Of particular note was ‘Boots’, a young lad who befriends the common soldier, played brilliantly by Marilyn Fairbairn and Saucer Eyes the dog who helps grant the soldier's wishes, played by Steve Hatt.
Pete Doonan was great playing guitar in accompaniment to the songs. The costumes were excellent and the scenery was fantastic. I loved the use of the the projector screen at the back of the stage.
I think this is an excellent production and particularly caters for families and groups of young people and it's a good time of year for a panto-like production before the Christmas rush hits home!
Make sure you book early and check the time your showing starts as they do vary:
Wednesday and Thursday (26th & 27th) at 7pm
Fridays (21st & 28th) at 7:45pm
Saturdays (22nd & 29th) at 2:30pm & 7:45pm
The running time is approximately 2 hours 10 minutes including the interval.
The King and Queen of Denmark (Andy Allen & June Ronson) have had their fortune told and understand that their beautiful daughter, the princess (Tara Lacey-Rousou) is to wed a common soldier. So the King rules that all common soldiers should be executed. Then enters our hero - a common soldier back from war trying to make some new friends in a small town. With the help of a friendly beggar he manages to disguise himself and make friends with his new found wealth, but these friends become very fickle when the funds get low. With the help of one of his genuine friends and a tinderbox he has inherited he manages (eventually) to realise his dreams.
This musical play, whilst not a pantomime, did have that sort of feel to it. Our common soldier (played by David Smith) involved the audience, especially the younger members, adapting himself well to the responses he got.
There were a few first night teething problems with items being dropped and I am pretty sure I spotted two scenes which had somehow managed to get reversed, but on the whole, it was a very smooth production.
The script, which was mostly in rhyme, worked well. It was read by both the actors and a team of narrators who worked collectively making the storytelling interesting and fun, as too did the rest of the cast who were all very good performers. Of particular note was ‘Boots’, a young lad who befriends the common soldier, played brilliantly by Marilyn Fairbairn and Saucer Eyes the dog who helps grant the soldier's wishes, played by Steve Hatt.
Pete Doonan was great playing guitar in accompaniment to the songs. The costumes were excellent and the scenery was fantastic. I loved the use of the the projector screen at the back of the stage.
I think this is an excellent production and particularly caters for families and groups of young people and it's a good time of year for a panto-like production before the Christmas rush hits home!
Make sure you book early and check the time your showing starts as they do vary:
Wednesday and Thursday (26th & 27th) at 7pm
Fridays (21st & 28th) at 7:45pm
Saturdays (22nd & 29th) at 2:30pm & 7:45pm
The running time is approximately 2 hours 10 minutes including the interval.