visual story for sleeping beauty - watermill theatre · the day before beautys sixteenth birthday,...
TRANSCRIPT
Visual Story for
Sleeping Beauty
The Watermill Theatre Bagnor, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 8AE
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This visual story is designed for visitors to our performance of Sleeping Beauty to help you prepare for your visit.
It contains lots of images along with helpful information about the theatre and the performance itself.
Contents
Page 3 – About The Watermill Theatre
Page 5 – What to expect on the day
Page 7 – Inside the auditorium
Page 9 – During the performance
Page 10 – Useful information for the day!
Page 11 – Sleeping Beauty: What you’ll see on stage
Page 13 – The Characters
Page 15 – What happens?
We hope you enjoy the performance!
Would you like a familiarisation visit? We can arrange for you to come to the theatre to look around the space and find your seat before the day. To organise this, or for any other questions, please call Heidi on
01635 570927 or email [email protected]
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About The Watermill Theatre
Welcome to The Watermill
Theatre.
There is parking at the theatre
in our gravel car park and
spaces can be booked in
advance for people with
disabilities.
To get into the theatre you will
go through the foyer. This is a
small area where you can wait
before going into the main
auditorium.
You can buy a programme with
information and pictures about
the show and the actors.
There are lots of animals that
live at The Watermill. You may
see Connie the dog, the
chickens or the ducks.
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In the foyer you will see the Box
Office where people buy or collect
their tickets for the show.
If your tickets have already been
sent to you in the post you
probably won’t need to go to the
Box Office.
There is a bar where you can buy
drinks and food. There are tables
and chairs in the bar. You may sit
at them if you like.
If you want to eat in the restaurant
you will need to call and reserve a
table before you come.
It can be quite busy and noisy
in the foyer before the
performance while everyone
waits to see the show.
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What to expect on the day...
Ladies and Gentlemen, this
evening’s performance will
begin shortly...
Before the show starts an usher may
ring a bell and help people find their
seats.
The ushers will be wearing the
colour black. They work for the
theatre, and will be happy to answer
your questions.
It will not always be the lady in the
picture but every usher has a badge
so you know you can ask them
things. They will also help you find
your seat in the theatre.
You may hear announcements
telling you when you can go and find
your seat in the theatre and how
long it will be until the play starts.
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If you need to go to the toilet, look for the signs or ask an usher
for directions.
Boys’ Toilet Toilet for people
who use
wheelchairs
Girls’ Toilet
When the theatre is
busy it may be difficult
to find the toilet.
The red line on this
map shows the route
from the theatre foyer
to the toilets.
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Inside the auditorium
You will have a ticket like this one
with your seat number on. There
are seats for the audience to sit in.
You sit in the seat with the same
number on it as the number on
your ticket.
As you enter the theatre you
may see the waterwheel.
The wheel doesn’t turn but you
will be able to see and hear the
river.
The seats in The Watermill are
narrower than seats in other
theatres and cinemas. If you
would like more space, you may
want to ask to book a seat on the
end of a row.
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This is what the stage will look like
if you are sitting upstairs, with
different scenery for each
production.
This is what the stage will look like
if you are sitting downstairs, with
different scenery for each
production.
In the theatre, the lights will dim
when the play is about to begin.
There is a spiral staircase for you
to use to get to the upstairs
seats. It is quite narrow.
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During the performance
Part way through the show there will be an
interval. During the interval, snacks, drinks
and ice creams will be on sale.
It’s okay if you feel happy or sad
during the show. Some people
may laugh or cry depending on
how they feel.
At the end of the show, everyone
will clap their hands to say thank
you to the actors.
When the clapping has stopped,
the lights will get brighter. This
means the show is over it is time to
leave the theatre.
It can be noisy when the play starts.
You may want to bring ear
defenders or ear plugs that you can
wear during the show.
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Sleeping Beauty:
what you’ll see on
stage To help you prepare for your visit, below we’ve detailed some things to
expect during the performance. If you’d prefer not to know what’s going
to happen then don’t read any further!
Sensory: sound
Sometimes there are sudden sound effects.
Several of the characters can be quite loud
or shrill in their voice. The Ogre in particular
has a loud, booming voice that sometimes
comes through the speakers.
Sometimes several characters talk over the
top of each other.
Sensory: visuals
Sometimes there isn’t a lot of light, or the
lights are coloured.
Glitter and confetti will fall onto the stage
during the performance.
Sometimes characters may hide and jump
out quite suddenly.
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Sensory: smells
We use ‘haze’ to make the stage
misty and seem more magical. Haze is
safe to breathe and doesn’t have a
strong smell.
Social interaction: audience
experience
Some of the audience seats are very close to the stage.
Sometimes the actors use the aisles in the auditorium
to play their musical instruments or to walk or run past
the audience.
Sometimes characters will talk directly to the audience
or ask the audience to join in with the story from their
seats.
Sometimes characters feel lost, alone, sad, cross or
scared.
Sometimes characters behave badly, like farting, being
rude or being horrible to people.
Sometimes the actors pretend that they have been
hurt.
A lot of the kingdom is magical, strange or confusing.
The Characters
Beauty
Beauty is the precious daughter of the King
and Queen. Beauty isn’t your average
Princess. She’s moody, disobeys her parents
and always likes to get her own way.
When she pricks her finger on the night
before her sixteenth birthday she falls into a
deep sleep for a hundred years and can only
be woken with a kiss, from a Prince.
Fairy Goody
Fairy Goody is mischievous and magical. She
grants the King and Queen’s wish for a child.
When she is not invited to the naming day, she
curses their child.
Goody’s magical power is so strong that every
time she cast a spell she uncontrollably passes
wind.
She’s in the forest looking for a Prince to wake up
Beauty.
Prince of Nerves and Prince of Nerds
These Princes are looking for their future love
and deciding whether Beauty is for them.
They meet Fairy Goody and hear her story in the
forest. They come face-to-face with the Ogre
and eventually get eaten.
As their names suggest, one is very nervous and
the other very nerdy.
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Ogress
The Ogress is the Prince’s mother. She’s a
meat eating creature and when there’s no
meat available she’s happy to eat anyone
or anything, including her two
grandchildren Rose and Hector.
Prince
The Prince is the son of the Ogress. He thinks
he is very courageous, strong, and brave.
Fairy Goody wants him to kiss Beauty to
wake her up. He doesn’t want to kiss Beauty
because he thinks kissing girls is disgusting.
He eventually kisses Beauty. She wakes up
and they fall in love.
The King and Queen
The King and Queen are Beauty’s parents who
live in a beautiful, gold encrusted palace.
They meet Fairy Goody in the forest and ask her
to grant their wish for a child. The Queen is
unkind and doesn’t allow Fairy Goody to come to
Beauty’s naming day. As a result their daughter
falls into a deep sleep under the Fairy’s spell and
they are distraught.
The Ogre
The Ogre is a human-eating creature
who lives in the forest. He eats the
Prince of Nerds and Nerves as they
travel through the forest, which
delays Beauty from being woken up.
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What happens?
Fairy Goody and her Thorns are outside the palace. The Prince of Nerves is running away from an Ogre. Ogre wants to eat the Prince of Nerves. Goody hides the Prince of Nerves and Ogre leaves. Goody tells the Prince of Nerves her story.
Many years ago, Goody helped the King and Queen to have a baby called Beauty. The King said Goody could come to Beauty’s party but the Queen didn’t want Goody there because Goody farted. Goody was cross that the King broke his promise to invite her. She puts a curse on Beauty that before she is 16 she’ll prick her finger and sleep for a hundred years.
Back outside the palace, Ogre is back and carries the Prince of Nerves off. The Prince of Nerds arrives and Goody tells him the rest of her story.
The day before Beauty’s sixteenth birthday, she asked for a new dress. The King asked Goody to make her a dress. Beauty saw Goody making the dress and came to watch. Beauty pricked her finger on the spindle and fell asleep.
The King and Queen
The King and Queen are Beauty’s parents who live
in a beautiful, gold encrusted palace.
They meet Fairy Goody in the forest and ask her
to grant their wish for a child. They are stubborn
and unkind and don’t allow Fairy Goody to come
to Beauty’s naming day. As a result, their
daughter falls into a deep sleep under the Fairy’s
spell and they are distraught.
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The King and Queen tried to fall asleep, too, by pricking their fingers but the magic had run out. Goody tried to magic roses around the palace but only the Thorns appeared. The Thorns carried away the King and Queen.
Back outside the palace, Ogre is back again. Goody feeds him magic herbs to make him sleep. The Prince of Nerds tries to fight the Thorns to get to Beauty but they carry him away.
A Queen Ogress arrives, needing help from Goody. Ogress is disguised as a human. She is about to have a baby boy who is half Ogre and half human. Ogress has already eaten her husband and is worried she’ll want to eat her baby. Goody stays with Ogress to make sure the baby Prince grows up safely without being eaten.
Years later Prince is grown up. Goody takes him to the Thorn-covered palace and tells him about Beauty. Prince tricks the Thorns into fighting with each other. Prince kisses Beauty and she wakes up.
THE INTERVAL
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Time has passed. Ogre is looking for more people to eat.
Prince introduces his mother, Ogress, to Beauty and their two babies, Hector and Rose. Ogress is cross that Goody took Prince to Beauty.
While the family are having dinner, Prince hears Ogre outside and goes to fight it. Beauty realises baby Rose is missing. Ogress has hidden Rose because she wants to eat the baby. Ogress wants Goody to cook Rose but Goody hides Rose and cooks a donkey instead. Ogress eats what she thinks is Rose.
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Beauty comes back, still looking for Rose. She gives Hector to Ogress to look after while she searches. Ogress wants to eat Hector. She gives Hector to Goody to cook, but Goody hides Hector with Rose and cooks a goat instead. Ogress eats what she thinks is Hector.
Ogress tells Beauty that she’s eaten both of the children. Ogress wants to eat Beauty. Ogress tells Goody to cook Beauty, and leaves.
Beauty doesn’t understand why someone would want to eat people. Goody explains that she is an ogress. Beauty runs away with her babies to the forest.
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Goody cooks a cat instead of Beauty to feed to Ogress. Goody runs away. Ogress realises she has been tricked. Ogress chases after Goody.
Ogre gets into the house. He frees a Slave, trapped in a table. Ogre goes looking for Goody.
Everyone is looking for someone in the forest.
Beauty’s dress gets torn in the Thorns. Ogress finds Beauty and wants to eat her but the Thorns protect Beauty.
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Prince finds Beauty’s torn dress and thinks Ogre has eaten Beauty. Goody tells him Beauty is alive but that his mother is an ogress. Ogre arrives and is confused because Prince smells like both a human and an ogre.
Ogress is about to eat Beauty when Ogre and Prince arrive. Ogre tries to kill Prince but Ogress protects her son. Ogre and Ogress fight. Ogress is killed. Ogre is about to eat Beauty when Goody arrives and kills Ogre using her magic. Goody loses her fairy wings and her magic because she used her powers to kill.
Beauty, Prince, Hector and Rose are safe. Ogre and Ogress are dead. Beauty doesn’t trust Prince now she knows he is half ogre. Goody brings them back together.
This visual story was written and created by Lixi Chivas and Heidi Bird
Production photographs: Philip Tull