Sleeping Beauty

This year Stagedoor Production pantomime is Sleeping Beauty. Director and writer Chris Anderton pull out the big guns with larger-than-life dragon that comes out into the audience with Caraboss sat on top of it singing her heart out to Defying Gravity. Very impressive and a great moment. The sets were magical with the hint of glitter that Stagedoor Productions do best. It has a picture book feel and the added corner raise where the slapstick happened was a delight. Larger than life pink glitter candelabras and giant spider lowered down to scare. The woods scene with glow in the dark eyes looking at you. Sleeping Beauty four poster bed all swathed in pink chiffon. Set by Dennis Boulderstone, Ben Stanier and Andy Palmer. Stage Manager Debs Lyons. Crew - Charlotte Parmer, Robert Sessions, Andy Parmer and Dave Clift. Lighting and Sound by WADS and Chris Anderton all helped to achieve the spectacular.

Costume looked fabulous and the colour schemes were well thought out. The black and red looked striking too. The finale looked very fairytale-like with silver, turquoise and pink as the main theme. Costume by Debs Lyons and Sharon Harper. The Dame’s costumes were by David Halliday and an array of outfits sent laughter through the audience as it should including a Barbie, looking right on trend.

Teresa Harper is the Choreographer and various ages were put through their paces and I have to say it was lovely to see such smiling faces on the chorus and dancers. The stage was used well and lovely to see so many boys included. Dance Teachers were Samantha Young, Charlotte Parmer and Nicola Shalliker.

The Fairy trying to put right from wrong was Fairy Blossom played by Amber Boulderstone. King Spam was played by Dave Haycock who just wanted to get his daughter married off to pay the bills. Dennis Boulderstone was Prince Paul who gets to save the day and plays opposite Helena Carter who takes on the title role of Sleeping Beauty and gets to wear the beautiful dresses - especially her finale dress. Great to see the principal girl involved in slapstick. The audience will never know if it’s meant to be or a prank on the night but it earned a round of applause.

Ben Stanier was the nasty side-kick Rancid running around his mistress and playing it very subservient-like. Loved the magic trick - how did you do it? His Mistress was Caraboss played by Teresa Harper, taking on the baddie role this year and looked to thoroughly enjoy it. Getting to fly on a moving dragon and some great numbers with one of them being Get This Party Started, with dancers and material for flames very effective number. Well done.

Dame Nanny was played by Philip Morris who has the best baps in Bolton apparently and worked for his Majestical, I mean King Spam.  Audience participation is a must and if you sit at the front, he will get you and use you to his own ends much to the amusement of the rest of us and if you don’t do as you are asked, he will come into the audience - be afraid!  Innuendoes in abundance and coming thick and fast Philip never draws breath his quick changes are the norm that would throw most actors into a spin. Philip is almost a double act with Graham Cohen playing his son Muddles. Graham gets the audience on side from the get go. The lovable idiot, we laugh with him, we feel sorry for him. I will say I did wonder why I was aching next day and it was My Body Lies Over The Ocean that we were made to do several times for their amusement. Very funny. And then at the end we had to do One Finger One Thumb. Who knew that pantomime could also be the gym?! Graham worked the gags with the bench that he kept falling off, I already mention the pushing off the wall scene and what was hilarious was the super hero suit that didn’t go quite as planned but hey, it’s live theatre and they rolled with it. So funny.

The show was full of audience participation and the adults as well as the children loved it. It was lovely to see audience children dressed up as Sleeping Beauty.  Cast and crew must be delighted with this show. Thank you, Stagedoor Productions, for the invite and hospitality from my guest Nicola and I.

Liz Hume-Dawson

District 5 Rep

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