The Sleeping Beauty

A good script and story line by Ben Crocker plus the correct ingredients of pantomime with good casting, a large number of enthusiasts on stage, colourful costumes etc, toe-tapping music from a live group, nice movement, and general reactions and enjoyment from the ‘house-full’ audience to encourage the cast.

Excellent duo of King and Queen (Tim Lovejoy and Ray Kurn) with great interplay of the characters, good comedy timing and personality, this partnership brought out the best for the ‘dame’ with the ‘also-ran husband’ and created all the right situations to be expected in pantomime. Good support to these two from Jilly and Billy (Jade Balmer and Phil Pearson) especially in the ghost/zombie sequence and the very messy cake baking for a birthday. A lovely little support role with great appeal from Kitty (Kamilla Coleman), this really worked.

The Fairy Ensemble (Emma Patrick, Charley Jeffries, Sherrie Barnes, Liz Staight) looked and sounded good and fulfilled the ‘good’ side of the story and saved the day. On the sinister side, Carabosse (Amanda Frost) overwhelmed us with her evil spirit and makeup and cackling loud voice, this was a performance to relish and dread her entrances, quite excellent! And how well ‘supported’ by her ‘familiar’ the cat Spindleshanks, probably the most evil cat ever seen and the most mobile and dance-perfect: a role for Tyler Curtis that could have been written especially for him and how he enjoyed himself on stage; this duo act the highlight of the performance.

A delightful Princess Aurora from Charlotte Howard with nice personality and voice, highly suitable for the role, as was her suitor Prince Orlando from Tina Matthews, legs and looks, and the good duets needed for the romantic leads. Altogether a really good family pantomime much enjoyed by all participants and audience.
 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.