Rehearsals have flown by for fairy-tale musical comedy Once Upon a Mattress, the Broadway classic revived this month at London’s Upstairs at the Gatehouse. Ahead of preview performances starting on Thursday (5 March 2020), take a peek at final preparations from the very tuneful sitzprobe with our sneak-peek videos. Time to get booking!
Once Upon a Mattress has a limited four-week season at Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate, north London, running from 5 to 29 March 2020, with press performances on 7 and 10 March.
Many moons ago, in a far-off place, begins a magical musical comedy journey into the world of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved story of the princess and the pea. But this isn’t your usual fairy tale, and Princess Winifred isn’t your usual fairy-tale princess.
The kingdom in which she seeks her prince seethes with a very adult problem, which won’t end until a very stubborn Queen Aggravain allows her son to marry. Alas, he is his mother’s prince, and is any princess really good enough?
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Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen‘s 19th-century short story, Once Upon a Mattress was the first musical by Mary Rodgers, daughter of legendary musical composer Richard Rodgers of Rodgers & Hammerstein.
Offie nominee Beth Burrows stars as Princess Winnifred alongside Julia Faulkner as Queen Aggravain and Theo Toksvig-Stewart as Prince Dauntless. Also in the cast are Steve Watts, Rachael Louise Miller, Matthew James Willis, Rachel Lea-Gray, John Sears, Courtney Hammond and Scott Armstrong. The production is directed by Mark Giesser.
Once Upon a Mattress premiered on Broadway in 1959, when it starred Carol Burnett and was nominated for a Tony Award. It was revived in 1996 starring Sarah Jessica Parker. The musical has a score by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer.
Rehearsal videos
Here’s the cast singing the show’s opening “Many Moons Ago”.
The number “Normandy” is sung by a minstrel, a jester, The King Sextimus and Lady Larken. The Royal Court is in order.
