Theatre Review - SLEEPING BEAUTY - THE PEOPLE'S THEATRE, NEWCASTLE

 

Dust off your ‘He’s behind you’ and shake off your ‘Oh no he’s not’, it’s pantomime time again! The People’s Theatre brings you Sleeping Beauty by Tom Whalley, a show with all the classic pantomime tropes, a few new twists and all the stops pulled out! An all-singing, all-dancing, always-laughing spectacular of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty.

Jonathan Goodman as Carabosse

Director Pamela Birleson was not sleeping on the job when she put together this fantastical world of magic and song, where the worst crime you can commit is to be from Sunderland… This pantomime is constantly drawing you in to new delights, be that young dancers, inventive use of modern music, old jokes, new jokes, older jokes or just the usual fun of shouting along with the show. Emily Jeffrey plays the innocent Princess Beauty, who just wants to get out into the world, and Rhiannon Wilson plays the hansom Prince Frederick as they sing some beautiful duets together. However, the curse placed on the Princess by the wonderfully-wicked Carabosse, played by the very talented Jonathan Goodman, aided by his henchman Radgie Gadgie, played by Daniel Magee, threatens to spoil everything. A warning here: Carabosse’s opening song in act two is so good it will almost make you forget to ‘boo’ him. Luckily, we have the wonderful, and very Geordie, ‘Fairy Canny’, performed with excellent timing and harmony by Emma Cockburn. As for Queen Sadie, Steve Robertson sets just the right balance of saucy and hilarious to keep the story moving. It’s the poor love-lorn Chester The Jester, played by Callum Mawston, who brings the show together with cheeky jokes, a great rapport with the audience and an unexpected but very welcome solo.

Emily Jeffrey as Princess Beauty with Callum Mawston as Chester the Jester

The simply-painted set designed by Kalia Moyers and flamboyant lighting designed by Xander Brouwer will instantly transport you to the glitter-filled dreams of a very fun panto. It’s a production that seems to know what matters most to its audience – including a broad variety of dances and dancers, all of whom fill the stage with their own brand of brilliance. This is a show for all ages and is guaranteed to bring some Christmas sparkle into your life. Wake up and get yourself over to the People’s Theatre to see Sleeping Beauty!

Steve Robertson as Queen Sadie

Running at the People’s Theatre 11^th-19^th December 2021