Celebrating the princess' 16th birthday, from left, Princess Aurora (Bella Mason), King Henry (Phil Hill), Jolly Jack (Adam Parmenter) and Queen Henrietta (Miriam Collins). Photo / Peter de Graaf
From Friday through to Sunday a 73-strong cast and crew have been transporting Kerikeri audiences to a fairytale land of magic spells, a battle of good versus evil, hobgoblins, an Australian named Bruce and a beautiful but apparently doomed princess — as well as the obligatory slapstick and cross-dressing. The pantomime version of Sleeping Beauty was performed at the Turner Centre by the Stage Door Theatre Company and written by Kerikeri resident David Crewe.