Welcome to Pratts Bottom Dramatics Society in existence since 1953.

 

We are delighted that you are interested in being a part of our January 2026 production of Sleeping Beauty by Alex Jackson

 

This production will be directed by Mike Darbon.

 

Auditions will be on Monday 14th and Wednesday 16th July 2025 at Pratts Bottom Village Hall starting at 7.30pm. Norsted Lane, BR6 7PQ. You only have to attend one date.  Audition materials are on the PBDS website under auditions. We have a full read through which everyone is welcome to attend on the 13th July 2025 starting at 5.30pm.

 

Rehearsals are every Monday and Wednesday starting from Wednesday 17th September 2025 at 7.00pm. Monday rehearsals start at 7.30pm and Wednesday rehearsals start at 7.00pm. There will be a half-term break in rehearsals. Thursday 23rd October and Sunday 2nd November 2025 and a Christmas and New year Break between Thursday 28th December 2025 and Saturday 3rd January 2026. There will also be roughly 1 sunday per month that all cast must attend. These additional calls will be available at auditions. We have a strict 4 rehearsals missed policy, which means, if you miss more than 4 rehearsals you may be cut from the show. 

 

Show week is the week commencing 26th of January 2026. Saturday the 24th January is our get in date where everyone is expected to attend to help build the set and to set up the dressing rooms. We will have 5 performances 28th 29th, 30th of January 2026 and the 31st January 2026 all starting at 7.30pm with a matinee on the 31st January 2026 starting at 2pm. The set down and get out date is the 1st of February and again everyone is expected to attend. 

 

Membership to the society is £25 for an adult and £20 for children which everyone must pay to be involved in a PBDS show. This membership fee is valid for 12 months. However, if you are an acting member on stage, cast in the show, then we have a show fee of £25 for an adult and £20 for children. This extra show fee contributes to the hire of the hall for rehearsals. Our costume designer is unable to make every single costume so you will be required to purchase some of your costumes. Backstage members of the company are required to wear blacks and again these are to be purchased. We also have a tea and coffee fund during rehearsals that we ask for 50p a rehearsal to cover the cost of tea, coffee and biscuits. More information regarding our membership and help towards paying for membership can be found on membership page.

 

All company members are required to follow our revised Code of Conduct policy as well as our safeguarding policy. All of which can be found on our website. This does include permission to video for rehearsal purposes - these will be very helpful to recap what we have learnt.

 

Chaperones - all parents/guardians will be required to chaperone at least one show/rehearsal during show week.

 

SLEEPING BEAUTY

By Alex Jackson

Directed by Michael Darbon

 

Princess Aurora, her cousin Avarice, and their friend Prince Arthur have been friends for as long as they can remember. But Aurora’s Aunty Carabosse, jealous of Aurora’s right to inherit the throne, revengefully tries anything she can to get in the way of the young royals’ destiny.

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Luckily Aurora has Nanny Nightnurse, Muddles and the Archbishop looking out for her, along with three fairy godmothers! But it won’t be easy to rescue the princess from dreamland and get her back in time to stop Carabosse declaring her descendants the rightful royal rulers.

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Come and join the royal family and a host of colourful characters in the fun and hilarity that ensues. We journey from young Aurora to her adult self, and encounter plenty of mishaps along the way. But will they manage to wake up the Sleeping Beauty?

 

Approximate Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (plus interval)

 

CHARACTERS

Playing ages and gender can be flexible! It’s a pantomime after all! 

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15 Speaking Roles + Ensemble

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Princess Aurora Principal Girl. 21 years old. Sleeping Beauty herself. Young and fierce. She is finally ready to take her place in the world, and the royal family. She yearns for adventure and isn’t too interested in love.

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Old King Cole Princess Aurora’s father. Could be played by any gender in an exaggerated way for comedy effect. Elderly and a bit forgetful, but very merry. Usually being ‘mothered’ by his wife the Queen of Hearts to whom his favourite turn of phrase is “yes dear.”

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The Queen of Hearts Princess Aurora’s mother. A bossy worrier, who mollycoddles and faffs around Aurora and Old King Cole. She inherited the crown and title of Queen, leaving her sister Carabosse cut out of the family fortune assuming she would rather live a ‘normal’ life.

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Muddles Comic. Could be played by any gender. Usually confused about things, performing plenty of slapstick comedy.

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Nanny Nightnurse Dame. Nanny to Princess Aurora and schoolteacher to Princess Aurora, Avarice, and Muddles. Typical dame role, with a warm, nourishing and emotional side to her.

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Prince Arthur Principal Boy. A kind prince, who is generous and charming, though perhaps not best built for armed combat or confrontation!

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Archbishop Known affectionately as Archie. Kind, but despairing older male clergy. Always frustrated when things go wrong and he is the punchline of a joke. Has a habit of Freudian slips, especially around Nanny Nightnurse who makes him flustered.

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Fairy Starlight A warm and welcoming good fairy with a fun personality. There should be a strong contrast between each of the three fairies, as each have their own personalities and style.

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Fairy Moonbeam A mystical fairy with deep and powerful magic. There should be a strong contrast between each of the three fairies, as each have their own personalities and style.

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Fairy Dust An elderly fairy who falls asleep at inopportune moments. There should be a strong contrast between each of the three fairies, as each have their own personalities and style.

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Carabosse Evil sister of the Queen of Hearts. Could be played by any gender. If played by a man, it’s important that Carabosse is not a ‘bloke in a dress’, must be played seriously as the baddie. Seeks revenge on the Queen of Hearts for cutting her out of the family fortune and forcing her to bring up her own daughter relatively normally.

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Avarice Daughter of Carabosse, who is dragged into many of her evil schemes. She was friends with Aurora when she was younger, before her mother put an end to their friendship.

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Young Aurora 11 years old. A younger, more energetic and naive version of our heroic princess. She still knows her own mind and has a determination about her.

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Young Arthur 11 years old. A younger, more energetic and clumsy version of our older prince.

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Young Avarice 11 years old. A young, cheeky and mischievous version of our older Avarice. At this stage she is friends with Aurora.

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Note: For scheduling reasons, the roles of Young Aurora, Young Arthur and Young Avarice may need to be doubled and shared by younger members of the cast

A sizeable ensemble/chorus of all ages is also required who will play the following roles:

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Citizens of Slumberville 

Party Guests 

Palace Officials 

Nightmares (Ghosts, Ghouls and Monsters that Princess Aurora encounters while she is asleep)

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Please see link to script:  Sleeping Beauty by Alex Jackson Production.pdf

If you would like discuss any aspects of the play or rehearsals, please contact the director, Mike Darbon, on 07802 914917 or via email at michael.darbon@outlook.com. 

 

If you are attending the open readthrough on Sunday, 13th July, or auditions on the 14th or 16th July, please bring your copy of the script with you. 

 

All auditionees will be expected to sing as well as perform a scene from the pantomime script with other actors. 

 

Below is a list of the songs and scenes we’ll be using for the auditions. 

 

Please select at least one song and one scene which involves the character you would like to audition for and familiarise yourself with them before your chosen audition date. As usual, depending on the numbers of people auditioning, you may be asked to read in other characters as well and, if you would like to sing solo as well as a group, please let us know when you come to the audition. 

 

Everyone attending either the readthrough or the auditions will be asked to complete a casting sheet which includes your name, age, gender, email address, phone number(s) and, if you are under 18, contact details for your parents/guardians. We also need to know if you have any holidays planned during the rehearsal period or if there are any specific dates that you know you are unable to attend rehearsals. 

 

We will also take a photo of everyone both as a record of who attended and to help us when we come to cast the roles.

 

LIST OF AUDITION SONGS 

 

Kids:

• When I grow up - Matilda https://youtu.be/h23J8B_2ADs?si=p5ONAH2RmEEk6xSA 

• ⁠For the first time in forever - Frozen  https://youtu.be/rmQ_n0rJ7JEsi=MsyZQ8f5eq1FZ4Q1 

 

Adults 

• Rolling in the deep - Adele https://youtu.be/LOd3u6FtkAk?si=3Vk7-sYoX1MGTbT8 

• ⁠Can’t stop the feeling - JT https://youtu.be/391uC33uI94?si=dcXuz7hszeJv_mae 

• ⁠Wake me up before you go - Wham https://youtu.be/rGyX_pchRuAsi=iKzF_z5F_Lgs7_Yy 

 

LIST OF AUDITION SCENES 

 

AUDITION PIECE 1 Sleeping Beauty Audition Piece 1 (Act 1 Scene 1^J Pages 12 - 18) .pdf

 

ACT 1 SCENE 1: PAGES 12 – 18

 

THE GRAND HALL OF SLUMBERVILLE

 

CHARACTERS:

 

MUDDLES, NANNY NIGHTNURSE, OLD KING COLE, QUEEN OF HEARTS, ARCHBISHOP, FAIRY STARLIGHT, FAIRY MONBEAM, FAIRY DUST, CARABOSSE (Citizens, Palace Officials) 

 

AUDITION PIECE 2 Sleeping Beauty Audition Piece 2 (Act 1 Scene 2 Pages 19 - 23) .pdf

 

ACT 1 SCENE 2: PAGES 19 – 23

 

10 YEARS LATER: ON THE WAY TO THE TURRET

 

CHARACTERS:

 

FAIRY STARLIGHT, YOUNG AURORA, YOUNG AVARICE, YOUNG ARTHUR, CARABOSSE

 

AUDITION PIECE 3 Sleeping Beauty Audition Piece 3 (Act 1 Scene 4 Pages 29 - 32) .pdf

 

ACT 1 SCENE 4: PAGES 29 – 32

 

10 YEARS LATER: ON THE WAY TO THE TURRET

 

CHARACTERS:

 

FAIRY MOONBEAM, PRINCESS AURORA, AVARICE, PRINCE ARTHUR, CARABOSSE

 

AUDITION PIECE 4 (Note: Not including the ballet sequence unless we are feeling especially cruel)

 

Sleeping Beauty Audition Piece 4 (Act 1 Scene 5 Pages 33 - 38) .pdf 

 

ACT 1 SCENE 5: PAGES 33 - 38

 

THE GRAND HALL OF SLUMBERVILLE

 

CHARACTERS:

 

OLD KING COLE, QUEEN OF HEARTS, PRINCESS AURORA, PRINCE ARTHUR, ARCHBISHOP, NANNY NIGHTNURSE, MUDDLES, CARABOSSE, AVARICE, FAIRY STARLIGHT, FAIRY MONBEAM, FAIRY DUST, (Party Guests, Palace Officials) 

 

I wish you every success in your auditions and look forward to working with you as we move together in creating a fantastic show after so many months of inactivity.  The final cast, with understudies will be announced shortly after auditions.  

 

Kind regards

Jack Holloway
Chairperson PBDS 07910428112