Sleeping Beauty

Another wonderful colourful pantomime from the extensive line of such productions from the Westovians. This time under the direction of Caroline Corkin, herself a multi-talented performer, who brought her own inimitable style to the show.

As ever with the Company it was a sell out and the audience which contained as many adults as younger ones loved every minute of it. The mark of a good show is how much participation you receive from the audience. Well it was raucous and as Noddy Holder would say even the more senior of those present “were up and rock and rolling with the rest” during the audience participation rendition of “Made you Look” ( I could wear my Louis Vuttion ). Super!!

The show had everything you want from a pantomime. It was dynamic and bright, with sets, costumes, and fine lighting to match. The choreography was excellently devised by Lisa Petrie and interpreted likewise by the senior and junior dance team alike who were well supported by the boundless energy from principals to ensemble alike.

As with all pantomimes the choice of music is also crucial. It has to be pertinent to the plot and yet be modern enough to be well known by the audience. Jen Stevens did just that and her accompaniment. Throw into the mix a fine supporting band and some excellent vocal renditions from the cast then you have it all.

It is all too easy enjoying the moment to overlook the many weeks of worry and apprehension that goes on behind the scenes to bring a show to life. There has to be a group of enthusiasts with the drive and ability to make it happen. Many congratulations to Caroline, Jen and Lisa for making it happen .Every aspect of their individuality shone through in the production.

The show had a strong line up of Principals. Some were new to the Company, and some were making their debuts. The line-up was strong, and none could be faulted in their roles.

The role of principal girl (Princess Rose) was in the hands of Jessica Wells-Auchterlonie. What a superbly talented all-round performer she is. New to this type of role she displayed an air of confidence as she commanded the stage. Added to this she has a fine singing voice and dancing ability.

Another performer making a principal debut was Rosie Roberts as the Principal Boy Benji. She stood out with an air of confidence that belied this fact. Her duets with Jessica in their renditions of “Hero” and “Who I’d Be” were spine tingling.

In all pantomimes you rely on a double act that can interact with the audience and provide the link between them. In this case it was Hannah Potter as Pickles and Matthew Pegden as Queen Nellie. They did it in fine style particularly in “Made you Look”. They both had a fine understanding of the nature of their respective roles and Hannah’s rendition of “Spaceman” and Matthew’s unique rendition of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” went down extremely well.

Erin Atack (Fairy Nightshade) was for me top notch. As the evil presence  she was everything you could wish for as the baddie. She exuded evil on every entrance and her interactions and add libs with the audience were a delight. On top of that her vocal range was tremendous in her singing of “Feeling Good” Her reputation is second to none.  

In his first acting role David Richardson played the part of King Gubbins. A daunting task at the best of times for an experienced performer he did well playing opposite other more well versed performers.

Others making debuts in a pantomime were Claire Bell (Fairy Lilac) and Heather Scott (Fairy Lavender). They were certainly not out of place and clearly have the talent for theatre. The third of the good fairies was Holly Chinneck another extremely talented performer who has a bright acting future. The added bonus we got was that their rendition of “Viva Forever” with its clever harmonies was a treat.

Other supporting roles were taken by Beth Docherty (Harvey the Herald) and Joan Tippins (Raab) .Whilst this was Beth’s first pantomime with the Westovians she is also a multi-talented performer across many genres. Joan has recently returned to the theatre but again this was her first trip into the world of make believe that is panto. Their talent will bring them back to it.

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