Telford students get their beauty sleep

PRINCESS Paris of Pilton is preparing to make her debut at the North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Yes, like all good pantomimes, the students of Telford College have set their take on Sleeping Beauty firmly in the locale in which they study.

And so the fairytale princess is banished to the land of nod for 100 years by the Wicked Fairy of Ferry Road, as are all the inhabitants of Muirhouse. Will the handsome Prince Barry be able to battle his way to the princess to kiss her and wake them from their slumbers?

The production, which involves Telford’s NC level acting students, HNC level technical theatre students and HND make-up artistry students, opens next Tuesday at the Pennywell Court venue. It’s a chance for the performers to showcase their performance skills and for audiences to spot Edinburgh’s TV, theatre and maybe even movie stars of the future.

Two different casts will appear over the ten-show run, each appearing in five performances. Depending on the day you go you can catch either Phil Rainford or Marco Foladore as the King of Muirhouse; Honorata Lisiak or Sarah Cairney as his queen; John-Padraic Cummisky or Rebecca Divine as Shambles and Steph Nicholson or Catriona Maclennan, both of whom are over six foot tall, as Princess Paris.

The casts are completed by Lindsay Sharp, Marlee Pearson, Elodie Pasqualini, Gareth Mutch, Joe Vevers, Kieran Skelton, Connel Burnett, Jessica McConachie, Beth Howe, Dominique Haig; Becky Todd, Alex Patterson, Michael Harper, Emma Rogge, Courtney Baillie, Justyna Kaliniak, Kay Weir, Robert Haas, Chris McLeish, Liam Moffat, Paul Paterson, Danielle Leslie, Emily Banks, Kate Walsh, Becca Souter, Sophie Egan and Ricky Pryde.

So, head along and discover what happens when everyone wakes up in the Edinburgh of 100 years from now. Will Scotland have gained independence? Has the problem of global warming being solved? And, most important of all, will the trams be running yet? Oh, and don’t miss the three-wheeling fairies.

Sleeping Beauty, North Edinburgh Arts Centre, Pennywell Court, Tuesday-Friday, various times, £2-£2.50, 0131-315 2151