Sleeping Beauty

As always, a fabulous welcome was given to John and I as we entered the Operatic Centre for Wombwell Operatic Society’s pantomime, Sleeping Beauty. You could really feel the excitement in the air, as Wombwell patrons have waited since 2020 for panto to return to the town, and this panto didn’t disappoint.

Ben Crocker’s  script was the perfect choice for this talented group. The script was very funny and the production was slick. It also contained all the necessary ingredients that a pantomime needs to have. 

Colleen Owen shone  as our funny man, Billy.  The children in the audience simply loved her and you could hear the laughter in abundance. Kimberley Cooper and Isobel Oliver-Haste made a delightful Prince Orlando and Princess Aurora respectively. Their voices blended together beautiful and the harmony was a joy to listen too.  Andy Harris, King Norbert, should be applauded. How he managed to remember all of Aurora’s name’s is beyond me, but Andy handled it like a pro. The audience were waiting with baited breath for the arrival of their Dame, Chris Wakeford. Chris, who has played the dame countless times for Wombwell is excellent and knows just how to land a joke. Any aspiring dames of the future should get themselves to Wombwell and watch how a dame should be played. I do love a society who encourages the young, and Wombwell leads the way here. With a chorus full of young performers and three delightful fairies, the future of Am Dram in Wombwell is in very good hands. Rachel Dawson as Fairy Peaceful was a joy to watch and her  song, sing a rainbow, was a personal highlight for me. 

However, the partnership of Josephine Owen and Sue Gent as the evil fairy, Carabosse, and her cat Spindleshanks was genius. Josephine was every inch the evil fairy we expect in this title, getting every last hiss and boo from the audience. Sue, was hysterical as the mischievous cat. I’m still laughing now about who actually IS the little old lady who spins and spins! Move over Any and Dec, there’s a new duo in town. 

The costume department deserve a mention as the costumes, especially that of Fairy Peaceful, was stunning and wouldn’t have looked out of place in a professional panto. The small orchestra did really well and the added underscore enhanced the production. 

Thank you all for a great evenings entertainment. We loved it. Oh yes we did! 

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