Princess Rose is a real feisty young heroine for our times, says Maisie
Maisie Sellwood is making her Theatre Royal debut as Princess Rose and says: “My extended family live in Bath and I’ve grown up coming here a lot, especially over Christmas. I’m so excited to be somewhere that’s so special to me.”
A graduate of the BRIT School and the London School of Musical Theatre, Maisie performed at Eurovision - Your Decision in Liverpool and was lead vocalist with MV Piano Land on a cruise of Asia.
Having also appeared in Sleeping Beauty in Blackpool last Christmas, she echoes Jon Monie by describing Princess Rose in this version as a feisty young heroine for our times.
“She’s got a bit more about her.
She’s a little bit more street-smart but she’s also still this sweet, loving character that everybody knows and adores.”
Can Maisie relate to her at all? She grins. “Definitely the feisty bit. Not so sure about the sweet bit.”
Does she see the Princess as a role model for young girls in the audience?
“I do, yes. She’s not only kind, she has such a lovely relationship with her best friend Lester the Jester. And she stands up for what she believes in. She makes sure that she’s heard and that she’s got a voice.
“It’s a lovely role to play and panto is a lovely job as an actor because the main objective is to make sure everybody has fun.”
Maisie smiles again. “You need stamina to do two shows a day but it’s worth it to see how happy the audience is. They get to leave all their worries and problems outside as they’re taken to this magical land for two hours of fantastic entertainment.”