Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Script

Synopsis

In this Sleeping Beauty pantomime script 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.

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.

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?

Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Script

Running Time

Approx 1 hour 50mins + interval.

Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Script Characters

1 Male, 3 Female, 8 Non Gender Specific, 5 Supporting Roles + Chorus (Indicated genders are guidelines for casting. Many roles could be played by actors of any gender. Oh yes they could!)

  • Princess Aurora (F) 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.
  • Old King Cole (M/F) 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 Queen Catherine to whom his favourite turn of phrase is “yes dear.”
  • The Queen of Hearts (F) 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.
  • Muddles (M/F) Comic. Could be played by any gender. Usually confused about things, performing plenty of slapstick comedy.
  • Nanny Nightnurse (M) 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.
  • Prince Arthur (M/F) Principal Boy. A kind prince, who is generous and charming, though perhaps not best built for armed combat or confrontation!
  • Archbishop (M/F) 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.
  • Fairy Starlight (M/F) 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.
  • Fairy Moonbeam (M/F) 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.
  • Fairy Dust (M/F) 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.
  • Carabosse (M/F) Evil sister of Queen Catherine. 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 Queen Catherine for cutting her out of the family fortune, and forcing her to bring up her own daughter relatively normally.
  • Avarice (F) Avarice, who is dragged into many of her evil schemes. She was friends with Aurora when she was younger, before Carabosse put an end to their friendship.

Supporting Roles

  • Young Aurora (F) 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.
  • Young Arthur (M/F) 11 years old. A younger, more energetic and clumsy version of our older prince.
  • Young Avarice (F) 11 years old. A young, cheeky and mischievous version of our older Avarice. At this stage she is friends with Aurora.
  • Palace Official (M/F) An employee at the palace.
  • Daydreamer (M/F) The spokesperson for the Daydreamers. Cheerful and colourful.
  • Ghost (M/F) A scary spirit in the Forest of Thorns.

Company Roles

  • Citizens of Slumberville
  • Party Guests
  • Palace Officials
  • Daydreamers
  • Nightmares

Scenes

3 Full Scenes, 2 Front Cloths/Curtain Scenes

Act I

  • Prologue
  • Scene 1 The Grand Hall of the Palace of Slumberville
  • Scene 2 On the Way to the Topmost Turret Ten Years Later (Front Cloth)
  • Scene 3 The Palace Schoolroom
  • Scene 4 On the Way to the Topmost Turret Ten Years Later (Front Cloth)
  • Scene 5 The Grand Hall of the Palace of Slumberville

ACT II

  • Scene 1 The Grand Hall of the Palace of Slumberville
  • Scene 2 The Forest of Thorns Outside the Palace (Front Cloth)
  • Scene 3 Dreamland
  • Scene 4 The Forest of Thorns Outside the Palace (Front Cloth)
  • Scene 5 The Grand Hall of the Palace of Slumberville
  • Scene 6 The Song Sheet (Front Cloth)
  • Scene 7 The Grand Finale

Sleeping Beauty Pantomime Script Extract

NANNY N. The cake! I left Muddles baking the cake earlier.

(MUDDLES enters, he is wearing the remains of a scorched chef’s hat and has soot all over his face. He is pushing a trolley with a perfectly iced birthday cake placed in the middle of it, surrounded by flowers.)

MUDDLES What’s my name?

(Audience response)

NANNY N. Muddles! What happened?

MUDDLES Small problem with the oven. I got confused about which knob to use. (Aside) Leave it.

NANNY N. Oh Muddles.

MUDDLES But don’t worry, I’ve iced the cake. No one will ever know.

NANNY N. I’d better take the cake to the King and Queen before anything else goes wrong.

(NANNY NIGHTNURSE places her hands on the opposite side of the trolley to MUDDLES and attempts to pull it away from him.)

MUDDLES No Mum. That’s not fair.

(MUDDLES jerks the trolley back towards him.)

NANNY N. It was my recipe Muddles. I should be the one to present the cake.

(NANNY NIGHTNURSE jerks the trolley back towards her.) 

MUDDLES But I baked it.

(MUDDLES jerks the trolley back towards him.)

NANNY N. I’m going to bake you in a minute if you don’t –

BOTH – give –

(NANNY NIGHTNURSE jerks the trolley back towards her.)

– me –

(MUDDLES jerks the trolley back towards him.)

– that –

(NANNY NIGHTNURSE jerks the trolley more violently back towards her.)

– cake!

(MUDDLES jerks the trolley ferociously back towards him. The force of the trolley being pulled back by MUDDLES results in him bending double over the trolley and his facing landing squarely in the cake covered in icing. MUDDLES emerges slowly from the cake, icing dripping from his face.)

NANNY N. How long did that icing take you?

(MUDDLES, shouting, chases his mother with the cake on the trolley and the two exit.)

OFFICIAL And now the formal gift giving proceedings. Please welcome the Archbishop.

(The ARCHBISHOP enters)

ARCHB. I know you will all join me in wishing Princess Aurora the happiest of birthdays.

(Cheers of agreement from the PARTY GUESTS and PALACE OFFICIALS)

Would guests bearing lifts… I mean gifts… please bring them forward.

(As PARTY GUESTS take various elaborately wrapped presents to PRINCESS AURORA, CARABOSSE and AVARICE sneak on. CARABOSSE is wearing a hooded cloak. She removes the hood as she moves forward.)

CARAB. It’s me! (Cackles. To AVARICE) Is the present ready?

AVARICE (False pleasantness) It’s just outside mother.

CARAB. Good. Good! Now let’s hide over here until it’s our turn.

(CARABOSSE replaces her hood, and her and AVARICE hide behind a group of PARTY GUESTS who have already presented their gifts to AURORA. The action switches focus back to the remaining present-giving.)