More than 100 children to appear in tale of discovery

HENLEY Children’s Theatre is off on a hair-raising adventure for its latest pantomime.

In Rapunzel – A Tangled Tale, the traditional story has been brushed down and given a topical twist by the theatre company’s proprietor and director, Muffin Hurst, for its 53rd annual production.

Muffin says: “This traditional family show tells the story of Princess Rapunzel with amazingly long hair. She is unaware of her regal heritage, having been taken from her parents at birth by the evil Fairy Twinkleman.

“Bob, the principal boy, endeavours to find the missing Princess with the help of a few aptly named locals — Dame Bouffante, the royal hairdresser, King John and Queen Frieda, Buzz and Mullet, not to mention a sequin-clad Fairy Tayl and her assistant, Miss Swift.

“They do all they can to ensure a happy ending for our hero, Bob, and the young princess.

“Gen V are the Villagers this year, who are baffled and baffling with their insistence on ridiculous acronyms and lingo.

“With more hirsute jokes than you can shake a comb at, this panto is ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest.”

As is customary, Muffin and her team have teased out the strands of the story to give it some shine, and the cast includes the “Alice Band” and a chorus of Nits.

More than 100 children from the Henley area will be taking part.

“We’ve got two teams,” says Muffin. “I think a lot of people come because they are watching children that they know, friends or family, but we’ve been doing this for so long and for so many years, we have people coming who don’t know the children and it’s really important to entertain them in a proper way with a good script that they will find funny.

“Although this is an amateur production, the children are true professionals when it comes to providing family entertainment.

“On one level the show is a joyful display from enthusiastic children, but on another level there is a funny, multi-level script that appeals to a wider audience and there is humour that may be a ‘headscratcher’.

“The children can’t just wave at their parents and do all the sweet things they do, it’s got to be a proper show with a touch of charm and innocence.

“The principal boy is called Bob, which I just thought is so funny for a principal boy’s name and obviously it’s like the haircut, and the comedy duo are called Buzz and Mullet and then we’ve got a ‘page boy’.

“Mullet is played by Aurelia Buckingham. She’s played ‘Grumpy’ before and a stroppy Mystic, so was desperate to try a funny character. Freddie Stallard is her comedy partner, Buzz.”

The choruses include the Nits, dressed in purple with sequins and deely-boppers, and the Swifties, who are wearing blue, ready to step on the plait-form.

“The Nits with Glitz are Rapunzel’s friends, they hang out with her, and the Swifties are related to Fairy Tayl.

“The kids are mad about Taylor Swift, you can’t deny it, so they were terribly excited to have anything with any relevance to her, which was good and they’re really enjoying it.”

Having learned the ropes from her grandmother, Flavia Pickworth, who established Henley Children’s Theatre in 1969, Muffin is delighted to see many families returning.

She first joined as a toddler, later helping Flavia out as a young teenager and has been running the theatre group since 1981.

Some of Muffin’s young chorus members are carrying on their own family traditions.

“Raffy and Wren Ansell’s mother, Izzy Ash, used to attend Henley Children’s Theatre and Delilah Coleman’s mother, Charley Woodward, also used to attend, so we’ve got two ‘second-generationers’ there.

“Charley was just at the Kenton a few weeks ago performing in Hairspray, actually, she’s a terrific performer.

“I love having a second generation and I think we even have a third generation.

“Katie Campbell, who is my assistant, is just brilliant and she does some amazing dance routines with the kids, so we’re very lucky. We’re ticking along and it’s lovely, it’s ‘hair-larious’.”

• Henley Children’s Theatre presents Rapunzel — A Tangled Tale at the Kenton Theatre in New Street, Henley, from Friday, January 3 to Sunday, January 5. On the Friday and Saturday, there are shows at 1pm and 6pm and on the Sunday, there are shows at 11am and 4pm. Tickets cost £17 adults, £13 under-16s. For more information, call the box office on (01491) 525050 or visit thekenton.org.uk