Sleeping Beauty

St Blazey Pantomime Society

SLEEPING BEAUTY by Alex Jackson

As seen by Matthew Heaton, NODA SW Regional Councillor on Saturday 24th January 2026 for Sheila Gill, NODA SW District 2 Representative

Director: Steph Housman

Musical Director: Nigel Read

Choreographer: Nicki Murphy

The Keay Theatre, St Austell

Sleeping Beauty is a Pantomime classic and it was an honour to be invited to St Blazey’s 75th production. This was my first time to the venue, where I was made to feel most welcome. The large and busy reception area had an excellent buzz about it on arrival, which then directed you into the impressive raked seating area, with a lovely wide stage. The pre-stage worked really well with the ‘Once Upon a Time’ story book and the effective lighting.

I’m sure this is not an easy stage to create a set for, with it being wide but apparently not too deep and quite low. The fixed-set designed was all the more impressive as a result – with a multi-level and multi-entrance castle interior that was also painted quite beautifully and with strong detail. The multiple levels allowed varied height for staging and the raised rear section was used particularly effectively. The numerous on-stage entrances and exits were used well, whilst resisting the temptation to do too much through the audience. I loved the two picture frames in particular (and the effect of the Ancestors within them coming to life), which was a really nice touch and great fun.

The use of cloths to set scenes in front of the castle worked well – the dropped and rolled giant banners worked particularly effectively. Scene changes were very well-worked and executed and maintained the flow of the production. I really enjoyed some of the cast comedy interactions with some of the hard-working crew as part of these – lovely work. Properties were well-managed and of a good standard where used.

The lighting was excellent and a real feature of the production– colourful, atmospheric and varied. You really did put a great deal into it, without overdoing it. Good coverage was provided for the inside whole stage Castle scenes, with some lovely spooky atmospheres created with the Nightmares for example.

The sound was very good too. There were very few issues – you could hear everyone clearly.  Chorus harmonies and balance with both the principals and the music excellent. I believe you probably support the pre-recorded music with some of the chorus vocals, which is an excellent idea, particularly for those big, choreographed dance numbers to maintain a fuller sound.

The costumes were lovely and really enhanced the overall look and quality feel of the production. I am aware just how many you had to put together, which was an incredible undertaking for a whole cast with a great many changes. The range of costumes used was impressive too. The last number costuming was particularly memorable, as was the great range of outfits for the Dame. Very well-done all. Hair and Make-Up were well-managed and controlled across the whole Company too.

The direction for the show was very strong, creating an entertaining production and making the best use of everyone’s abilities. Everyone had their chance to shine in this show. This is not an easy Panto to direct either – it has quite an imaginative and complex plot for a Pantomime, particularly for Act 2, with scenes taking place within character’s dreams and sleep. Act 2 did feel a little long in the middle section. Overall, this was a very well-directed and executed Pantomime.

In terms of the principal performances:

Princess Aurora (Morveren). It’s never easy in this type of lead role (particularly one known for Sleeping for 100 years!), but you really made something of the part, giving it some real character. You acted, sang and moved really well, building up some really nice on-stage relationships Well done.

                                                                                          

Prince Arthur (Perran). You worked really hard in putting together the Prince as a part and you formed a nice relationship with Princess Aurora. Giving you one of the great anthems in Musical Theatre for men in ‘This is the Moment’ was a tough gig, but you worked to your strengths and really made it your own. Nice work.

King and Queen of Slumberland (Paul & Mandy)  You both took the grandeur of the roles built up a nice comic relationship as the chalk and cheese royal couple with some lovely interchanges. Very enjoyable.

Nanny Nightnurse (Darren).  Funny and engaging, I loved your sightly deadpan style and deliberate understatement to the part as a contrast to how the Dame is often played. You were on the mark with your delivery and timing and carried this through all of the nonsense and over-the-top costumes really well, always keeping the audience close and onside.

Muddles (Alex). What fun you were in this part!  Lovely warmth with the audience, a great sense of fun and comic timing and acted as the glue in many of the scenes in holding them together. Lovely performance!

Archbishop (Chris) A hilarious performance – great comic-timing, some fantastic slap-stick activities and good fun when getting your words wrong ((deliberately I hasten to add!). Really added to the overall comedic ensemble – well done!

Carabosse (Shannon). Every Panto needs a great baddie and you played Princess Aurora’s evil Aunt expertly. You made the very best of all of your scenes and I loved you taking on the audience to milk them for more boos! A great singing voice too for your very impressive solo number.

Avarice (Emma). Playing the Baddie’s reluctant side-kick (and daughter in this case) is a really difficult part as we need to see your struggle that you will eventually overcome. You did this really well, putting together a character we could still sympathise with. Nicely done!

Fairy Dust (Georgina), Fairy Moonbeam (Sarah) and Fairy Starlight (Olivia), Great fun you all were with your differing characters and friendly squabbles. You all worked just so well together with some lovely comic-timing and kept the magic in the story on-track.

The Juniors. I thought you were one of the highlights in the show, with the number with Young Aurora, Prince Arthur, Avarice and the others a particular treat and fully-deserving of the huge round of applause you received. Loved the support throughout from the Tweens too.

The ensemble work was very good in this production. Energy was key and everyone on-stage seemed to have it all the time. This was no matter as to how the show was divided up between different groups and sections as there was an awful lot to cover. The choreography was well-worked and matched the music and the mood. You sensibly fitted people to their capabilities – stretching the Dancers (the Nightmares scene was particularly memorable) but also allowing suitable choreography for everyone in the big chorus numbers. You were not afraid to have different moves for different groups at the same time, which worked very well. Nicely done.

The music was a real highlight of the production too. The arrangements on the backing tracks worked really well and the cast were able to keep in time with them really effectively. As well as the strong principal singing, there was some great ensemble and chorus singing, which worked very effectively. Very well done to the Musical Director for putting this all together.

In Summary, this was a great fun family Pantomime performed to a strong standard across the board, with some classy technical achievements too. This was a fitting 75th production for St Blazey, which I enjoyed very much.  Thank you again for the invitation and I wish you every success with your future productions.

PLEASE NOTE:

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what he sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be effected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances, and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

 

 

 

 

 

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