Once Upon a Mattress by Prince George’s Little Theatre at the Bowie Playhouse, Sept 11-26

Once Upon a Mattress
Music by Mary Rodger; Lyrics by Marshall Barer; Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer
Directed by Frank Pasqualino
Produced by Jenna Jones Paradis

September 11 – 26, 2015

Prince George’s Little Theatre at the Bowie Playhouse

There are eight performances over three weekends, September 11 – September 26, 2015

Synopsis: Once Upon A Time – a long, long time ago, there lived the mute King Sextimus, his wife, Queen Aggravain and their son, Prince Dauntless the Drab. Their kingdom suffers a curse – Sextimus shall remain mute until “the mouse has devoured the hawk.” To make matters worse, the Queen has decreed that no one may marry until a suitable Princess has been found for her darling son, which is a big problem for Sir Harry and Lady Larken, who must get married soon as they are expecting a baby.

Since all females in the kingdom are declared unsuitable by the Queen, Sir Harry leaves the kingdom on a quest to find Dauntless a bride. He finally arrives with Princess Winnifred or “Fred” who hails from the swamps and swims the moat to meet the Prince. While she enchants Dauntless, the Queen finds Fred totally unacceptable as a daughter-in-law. With the help of her confidante, the Wizard, she sets up a seemingly impossible test; Fred must sleep on twenty mattresses under which a single pea is placed. If she is truly a Princess, her sensitivity will not allow her rest. Will Fred pass the test? Will Larken and Harry finally be allowed to marry? Find out in this funny fractured fairy tale where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover…. Or mattresses by them either!