In January 2024, Wexford Pantomime Society staged an entirely original adventure, Rapunzel and the League of Princesses. This was a story that had never been told before, where three well-known princesses ripped up their traditional fairy tales and rewrote them for a new age.

The tale began with Glimmer, the elegant Panto fairy, introducing the audience to a King and Queen who, desperate for a child, struck a deal with the evil witch Gothel. Blessed with twins, they were forced to surrender their daughter Rapunzel, who was taken away as a baby. Years later, on the twins’ eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel’s brother Lance vowed to venture into the Deep Dark Woods to find his missing sister. Joined by his best friend Sam, he embarked on a journey filled with danger, comedy and adventure.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel herself, raised under Gothel’s control, showed no interest in following her adoptive mother’s wicked ways. Locked in her tower, she longed for freedom. In the forest, the audience also met two other familiar princesses. Snow White had grown into a tough, no-nonsense heroine determined to take control of her own story, while Cinderella—still pursued by Prince Charming and his aide Dandini—was learning to stand on her own two feet.

Furious at Rapunzel’s rejection, Gothel plotted to destroy every happy ending with the help of her bumbling goblins, Slugger, Scratchit and Sniff. But when Snow White, Cinderella and Rapunzel joined forces, they formed the ‘League of Princesses’, determined to outwit Gothel and rewrite their destinies.

Packed with humour, larger-than-life characters, goblin mischief and plenty of music and dance, Rapunzel and the League of Princesses offered audiences a never-before-seen pantomime adventure. With its modern twist on classic tales, the production became a standout moment in the society’s history.

Photography by Paula Malone Carty