Meet the Parents

No, not my own, just the parent characters in my newly published panto 'Sleeping Beauty'.  So starting at the top:


King - Princess Tina's father.  Which is it - is he hen pecked or suffering from a rather guilty conscience?  Having had a relationship with the Shadow Witch Malaria before her magic flared, he bows an awful lot the wishes of his wife.


Queen - a regular battle axe.  When she gets into full flow there is no stopping her so it is best to interrupt before that point.  Just make sure you are out of arms reach.


King Neighbour - Father of Prince Feet and twelve others.  His kingdom hasn't always been at peace with Tinytown, in fact he tried to invade some years before the panto starts, but having Malaria-as-a-dragon drop in on his army and send it running for the boarders rather curbed that ambition.  He treads rather carefully around the issue of boarder control now.


Queen Neighbour - Mother of Prince Feet and twelve others.  Spends most of her time training up her boys ready to marry them off to other royal families, except for her youngest Prince Feet.


Fairy Sweetpea - Fairy Godmothering is not for the faint of heart.  Rushed off her feet and out of time trying to make the world work, or at least, keep running.  Has a thing against prejudice and bigotry, probably because she's seen what it has done to her sister, Malaria.


Malaria - the Shadow Witch, not a title she wanted.  Born with the Shadow Magic, she has one massive great chip on her shoulder as she has done nothing but try and help people with it and in return all she's got is being cast out, not because of what she has done but because of what she is.  The lack of an invitation to Princess Tina's christening really was the last straw.


Chamberlain - Lives in a perpetual state of panic, not surprising as he is the favourite target when the Queen is in a bad mood.  Sends most of his time running around trying to complete the ever growing list of jobs to do that she gives him.


Coughs, Colds and Sneezes - Malaria's three imps and sometimes Shadows.  Sneezes is the brains of the trio, although that isn't saying much, with Colds being fairly observant, while Coughs brings up the rear in the brains department.  Good for a lot of slap stick and mucking about.


Dame Fuzzy - the only one who tried to help Malaria when her magic first flared, not that the King and Queen realise that when they give Princess Tina over to her care.  The panto dame and all round mothering soul, she'll take anyone in under her wing, even the Chamberlain.


Princess Tina aka Elderflower - practical and not easily scared.  Has a more balanced view of Malaria then her parents expect or want, due to Dame Fuzzy's influence.  Though she has done all the training of a Princess, she has also learnt how to cook, clean, wash and sew.  She is no lady in an ivory tower, that's for sure.


Prince Feet - the youngest of thirteen and the one over looked.  Meets Princess Tina as a child due to the work of a certain Fairy Godmother.  Unlike his brothers, this one does not have a swell head.


Prince Philip - The oldest of Prince Feet's brothers that we meet (the others have already been married off).  To some it up everything is always about him.


Prince Nigel - a lawyer in the making and another of Prince Feet's brothers.  Just about every sentence contains a reference to one law or another.  Even Fairy Sweetpea is pleased to see the back of him.


Prince Roland - another of Prince Feet's brother and a CEO to the core.  I can't work out which is worse Prince Nigel or Prince Roland.


Prince Dan - just about the only one of Feet's brothers who willing recognises the fact that Feet is there.  An athlete who isn't overly enthusiastic about being married off to royal, it's all work and no time to train.


Mayor - someone has to run the county when everyone in the castle decides to permanently catch z's for several years.


Colonel Vins - a soldier with good sense.  He knows an ally when he sees one, even if they are as unlikely as a shadow helping the light.


Chorus of peasants, courtiers, soldiers, monsters and magic.  Suggestions for how to make the special effects work are written in to the script.


I hope you like the character summery and I know that was rather more than just the parents but once I started writing I was on a roll so just kept going.  Oh yes, I did.


To see the full script:


http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/137733/Sleeping-Beauty-Panto