Once Upon a Mattress
at Ridley College

Reviewed on February 28, 2014

Imani Williams
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to

If you think you know the story of "The Princess and the Pea", think again. "Once Upon a Mattress" is the musical and comical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Princess and the Pea".

Set in a kingdom in medieval times, Ridley College's "Once Upon a Mattress" follows Prince Dauntless' (Jesse Wydman) quest to find a bride. However, a dozen princesses have tried and failed to pass Queen Aggravain's (Carrie Houston) test that "looks fair, and sounds fair, and seems fair, but isn't." The Queen remains successful in warding off the would-be brides of her beloved son until Princess Winnifred (Jade Biggar) arrives on the scene. This unbridled princess gives the tyrannical queen a run for her money when Ridley College brings this fairytale to life.

As Melanie Ash, one of the two directors, mentioned, this production is a great ensemble piece. Arguably the most notable performance was that of Carrie Houston as Queen Aggravain. Houston perfectly executed the Queen's shrill screeches and domineering nature. Ilya Kulikov deserves much credit for playing the mute King Sextimus. After all, miming is difficult work. Jade Biggar evoked both the royal and rebellious sides of Princess Winnifred.

Despite the occasional pause, the dancing was vivacious. The Latin flavoured "Spanish Panic" dance was particularly enjoyable. The dancing was often accompanied by the vocalists and the orchestra. The former was adequate with some vocalists experiencing difficulties reaching the high notes. On the other hand, the orchestra was playful and peppy.

The set of the production was reminiscent of Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The stone walls of the castle were brought to life with touches of green ivy, royal drapery, and warm flames. Surprisingly, twenty mattresses really can be stacked on top of one another. The lighting managed to evoke the blues of bright days and the greens of the bayou.

The costumes of the production were dazzling with dainty and detailed touches. Queen Aggravain's wardrobe consisted of iridescent gowns befitting of royalty. Knights wore chainmail that shimmered in the light. Even the royal jewels caught the lighting.

Ridley College's rendition of "Once Upon a Mattress" was witty and whimsical like the dreams of any young prince or princess.

Anika Abdullah
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to

Classic Fairytale Gets A Makeover


Swamp frogs, powerful vocals and chatty queens were centre stage at Ridley College. The humorous musical, "Once Upon A Mattress", was a breath of fresh, slightly toxic, swamp air. A comedic rendition of "The Princess and the Pea" had the audience laughing heartily.

The production begins like the classic fairytale with a short narrative from the Minstrel (Jacqueline O'Rourke) and stunning picture book visuals by the actors. As the narrative ends, the real story about a prejudice prone queen who is trying to marry off her weak-willed son, who happens to be in love with an indelicate princess, begins.

Consistently through this musical, the actors were full of confidence and energy, making minor sound issues easily forgettable. In Princess Winnifred's (Jade Biggar) first number, "Shy", the cast and orchestra came together with astounding vocals and music. Jade Biggar's powerhouse performance made the audience fall in love with her character.

Every actor had a strong, noticeable stage presence that made them unique. Queen Aggravain (Carrie Houston) amazed the audience with her ability to talk endlessly and never lose her breath. Her counterpart, King Sextimus the Silent (Ilya Kulikov), effectively conveyed his thoughts with actions, a skill that was underappreciated by the ladies of the court. Jesse Wydman managed to create some character development that made his originally pathetic Prince Dauntless earn thunderous applause and cheers in the last act. The couple that touched the heart the most though was Sir Harry (Miles Smith) and Lady Larkin (Yael Hamui Yedid). Their sweet tale and duets were a pleasure to watch onstage.

Alongside the brilliant acting, skillful lighting added depth and intensity to already memorable moments. The light green backlighting to "The Swamps of Home", for example, was perfected with the appearance of endearing frog characters.

There were a few set change problems during the musical that were fixed within the blink of an eye. The professional way with which the backstage crew handled the difficult situations is highly commendable.

This production may have been a musical-comedy but it touched on the very real topic of power and love. Amidst the puns and giggles, the struggle of being an independent woman falling in love and looking for that happily-ever-after was presented beautifully by Jade Biggar. Carrie Houston successfully showed how one can confuse power for love in Queen Aggravain's relationships.

The ladies, knights, princes, princesses, kings and queens in this musical made us question not just what it takes to be a princess but also what it takes to love and be loved.

Meaghan Ballanger
Eden High School
Submitted for publication to

Ridley's Whimsical Ride

"The Princess and the Pea" is a traditional tale, well-known, much loved, simple and sweet. Yet, what if beyond those many mattresses, lies the true story? Ridley College's rendition of the fairytale twist "Once Upon a Mattress" dared to air out the true telling of the well-known folktale. It is a story of maternal manipulation, childishness, love and hilarity.

The Thompson, Barer and Fuller musical follows "The Princess and the Pea" storyline, with a few twists. It puts its own spin on the story, involving a tomboy princess named Winnifred or ‘Fred', a mute king, and a melodramatic lady-in-waiting among the regular crew.

Ridley's musical production utilized an energetic orchestra to bind together all the elements of the play. The intricate sets, the glitzy costumes, the upbeat songs, and the flashy lights combined with a great jazzy sound, formed all the necessary pieces of the puzzles.

Jade Biggar (Princess Winnifred), and Carrie Houston (Queen Aggravain) were rival and contender, both as characters and actresses. Houston's outrageous and temperamental Queen Aggravain charmed her way into our hearts with kind-hearted screeches and unexpected shouts. On the other hand, Biggar's tomboyish, stubborn, and loveable ‘Fred' was endearing and admirable, especially during her strong vocal performance of "Happily Ever After".

Two notable actresses who were always involved in the never-ending hilarity were Yael Hamui Yedid and Alysha Leon. Yedid played the melodramatic, and manipulative Lady Larkin; she displayed considerable vocal talent in the duet "Yesterday I loved You". In contrast, Leon amused the audience with both her characters: the laughable exotic Nightingale, and the ridiculous dancing of Lady Rowena.

The majestic stonewalled set was a wise choice on art director Giles Campbell's part. The multi-layered set was equipped with moveable walls, dividing curtains, and a classic medieval staircase. All these elements worked together to establish individual spaces and locations. Some of the set changes may have been too elaborate which caused some confusion amongst the audience and the crew.

With colourful lights, soothing lullabies and shifting walls, Ridley's "Once Upon a Mattress" brought a new classic to the Niagara stage.