The Princess and the Pea

Princess and the Pea banner 1

7th December 2009 - 7th February 2010 Princess and the Pea 1

Sometimes the smallest things cause the biggest problems...

It's a hard life being a Handsome Prince, having to spend all your time looking for the perfect Princess to rescue, and attending silly royal balls. It's no picnic being a Princess either, especially if you're much happier climbing trees and fighting dragons, rather than looking pretty and wearing big dresses. Come and see what happens when fairy tale characters decide to do what they really want, and no-one is quite what they seem! This winter Proteus brought you another classic tale, created and mixed with their unique blend of physical theatre, circus, music and film. Suitable for all the family, you'll never look at peas in the same way again...

Cast and Production Team Princess and the Pea 2

Samantha Jenkinson - Penelope and Princess Rosaline
Lee Garrett - Doug and Prince Henry
Louise Matthews - Gladys and Queen Daphne
Stephen Love - Brad and the Businessman

Witten & Directed by Mary Swan
Devised by The Company
Designed by Sam Pine
Music by Paul Wild
Set Construction, Lighting and Production Management by Simon Beckett
Stage Management by Jon Cockburn

Reviews and CommentsPrincess and the Pea 3

The Stage
Wednesday 9 December 2009

Proteus’ new Christmas show is an imaginative take on an old favourite that makes as much of the pea as the princess. The folkloric staples are all here - evil dragons and dashing princes among them - but Mary Swan’s adaptation really scores with the wonderful parallel narrative that tops and tails the show.

Sweet, hapless Doug (Lee Garrett) must woo back his childhood sweetheart Penelope (Samantha Jenkinson) by winning an allotment contest called, amusingly, The Veg Factor. He trains his peas and tomatoes into lustrous specimens by talking to them and telling them stories, including the eponymous tale. The vegetable puppets are highly appealing, from the kazoo-voiced Petit Pois to a sage old Irish carrot, and there is even a talking scarecrow (Stephen Love), well-versed in noughties street speak.

Meanwhile, the mythical tale itself is spruced up with an eco-warrior princess and a slightly batty old queen (Louise Matthews) who routinely splashes her martini over the others with abandon. Like all good family theatre, it is brilliantly eccentric, and the script manages to be clever and immediately accessible. It should hopefully get the kids interested in their gardens too. Highly recommended.