Review: SLEEPING BEAUTY, The Arts Theatre Cambridge
Photo credit: Richard Hubert Smith
Pantomime’s are a Christmas tradition and Sleeping Beauty has all of the classic panto-isms that you would expect. There is plenty of slapstick, “he’s behind you”, some very close to the mark double entendre’s and, of course, the crowd participation.
The recently renovated Arts Theatre in Cambridge has new seats and a packed upcoming schedule to treat audiences with and have used Sleeping Beauty as part of their grand opening.
Sleeping Beauty is written by Chris Jarvis and directed by Michael Gatterell, with an exceptional set designed by Ian Westbrook. The set is very storybook like but contains nods to Cambridge and even King’s College with the river Cam in it.
The storyline is as you would expect for Sleeping Beauty with some extra bits thrown in, however, it feels like they get through the standard story and then throw some extra scenes in at the end as they were short on run time. The additional scenes such as a very funny slapstick scene with Nanny Nutkins and Happy Harry would have made more sense in the first act; an act that was slightly lacking in humour. It just feels out of kilter; nothing wrong with the scenes, just felt in the wrong place.
Matt Crosby, returning for his 20th year, plays the panto dame in Nanny Nutkins and is, as always, exceptional. Excellent comic timing and dry wit. The audience participation with the children up on stage definitely keeps him on his toes. Always a joy to watch Crosby perform.
His sidekick this year is Happy Harry, played by Steven Roberts, and as good as he is, he feels dreadfully underused. It definitely feels like he has more to give and is sorely missing from the “he’s behind you” scene. He and Nanny Nutkins, however, do steal the show with their slapstick scene in the nursery and how they weren’t wearing kneepads for all of the falling over they did is amazing!
Another stand out performer is Joseph Hewlett as Prince Ken, a Prince who embodies Ryan Gosling’s Ken from the Barbie movie. It is a brilliant bit of casting, and creative decision to go down that route as it very much works. Barbie still being popular enough to be funny, and Hewlett’s rendition of ‘Just Ken’ is also welcome.
Tricia Adele-Turner as Carabosse isn’t nearly nasty enough, and it feels like her costume is lacking as part of the character here. Her performance is solid and her voice exceptional but it would have been nice to see more villainy here.
Princess Rose is played by Daisy Twells who has a beautiful voice, and the ensemble put in a strong performance.
All in all, Cambridge have produced another good pantomime. It is full of family entertainment and with a respective running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes including the interval, it is a good length for children’s attention spans. The jokes are funny and often aimed at adults, which is always appreciated.
If you’re looking for a bit of festive cheer this month, look no further!
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Emma Rooney
Sleeping Beauty plays at The Arts Theatre Cambridge until 4 January, with further info here.