Sleeping Beauty

This was the first Centre Stage pantomime I had seen for some time so I was really looking forward to what was in store.  From the rousing opening number to the final bows, this was a show that moved at a cracking pace, packing in all the elements you would expect to see in a traditional pantomime.

Francesca Chambers as Fairy Fabulousa opened the proceedings. Sporting a snazzy bright pink trouser suit in place of the usual fairy attire, she connected well with the audience. Her opposite number, the bad Fairy Furiousa was well played by Jacqui Player, suitably costumed in black with mask and horns. The banter between these two characters was good and of course we always knew that good would win over evil.

Jason Andre was obviously enjoying playing Dame Penny Cillin and a very good job he made of it. His costumes were rather more classy than usual.  No outrageous dresses here although he still wore a silly wig, giving a nod to the traditional.

Theo Smith is a young actor whose enthusiasm and confidence on stage never ceases to amaze me. As Court Jester, Frankie Cillin, he had to engage with the audience, which he did showing a professionalism beyond his years.  Very well done.

Ava Herd and Iona Griffey made a good pairing as Princess Rose and Prince Horatio. Both are to be congratulated on their performances, including their lovely musical numbers.

I was very impressed with Charlotte Kowalski and Ella Rowsell as Fetch and Carry the Party Planners, while Hector Duckworth-Smith and Oliver Reid, two talented youngsters, did an amazing job as Little Fetch and Little Carry. These four really captured the audience’s attention.  I have seen them all in various other productions and I look forward to seeing them again in the future.

Last but by no means least in the lineup was King Rupert, a lively performance by Graeme Johnston who looked as though he was enjoying being back in pantomime.

Everything you would expect from a panto was here including a great slapstick making of a wedding cake with a fair amount of eggs being thrown. I trust they were hard boiled!  The Haunted Hallway scene with a ghost and a woodland scene with young dancers dressed as lovely little red squirrels.

Audience participation was good and it was lovely to see children from the audience up on stage again, something I have not seen for a while due to the restrictions we have all been living under.

There were great chorus numbers and lovely solos.  The dancers had obviously been well drilled by Choreographer Faye Dower and produced some beautiful dance sequences.

The projected scenery was very cleverly designed to take account of the staircase profile and worked really well, with some lovely images.  

To my mind live music always takes a production to another level and the four piece band under the direction of Karen Chinery provided excellent accompaniment.

This was a well presented, well costumed production with good attention to detail, complimented by excellent lighting and sound.

Congratulations to Director Peter Dedman on his imaginative interpretation of James Player’s script and to everyone else involved in this lovely production.

Thank you for inviting me and as always, for your hospitality. We had a very enjoyable afternoon.

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