Review – Sleeping Beauty at The Courtyard
Review – Sleeping Beauty at The Courtyard.
Have you booked your tickets for this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty at The Courtyard? After seeing tonight’s performance, we strongly advise you get yours quick, because this is one not to be missed.
Written by Lyndsay Maples, and directed by award-winning director Estelle van Warmelo, we knew we were in for a treat. Estelle won Best Director at the UK Pantomime Awards in 2022, we think Sleeping Beauty may win her a further award – watch this space! Lyndsay has written The Courtyard panto scripts since 1998, and they are always fun. This is her 25th pantomime, and we think it’s the funniest so far.
Great script? CHECK! Great Director? CHECK! But it takes more than these to make a panto as successful and magical as this one. The stage scenery, set changes, amazing costumes, the sparkle, the light and sound effects, the music, the choreography, and certainly not least – the cast – all have to be just right to make it work. And it does! Sleeping Beauty has all the humour and mayhem we love about pantos, with jokes and music, singing and dancing, audience participation, and more than just a touch of magic.
Every cast member is incredibly talented, from the dancers to the lead actors, and they all seemed to enjoy every moment of the show too. Lauren Steele who plays Nellie (Sleeping Beauty) has a wonderful voice and is full of energy and fun. She is perfectly matched by Luke Haywood, who plays Ollie. Madelaine Macmahon is the truly brilliant ‘baddie’ Blista, who had us all booing and hissing as any good panto villain will. The pantomime Dame – Madge Ickle, played by Dion Davies, easily had the entire audience involved and joining in from the start, with the help of sidekick Wally, brilliantly played by Andrew Franklin. For us, Geraint Rhys Edwards stole the show at times, in his role as Prince Dudley. But he couldn’t have done so without the chemistry between the actors. The banter between them all had the audience (and cast) rocking with laughter – especially throughout the countdown song. You will know what I mean when you see it – it is the funniest thing I have seen in a panto ever (and I have seen a lot of pantos!)
Sleeping Beauty at The Courtyard is a pantomime that kids and adults will love – and once word gets out about just how good this one is, you may struggle to get tickets. Don’t say we didn’t warn you – book them now!
Sleeping Beauty is playing at The Courtyard until 4th January 2025. For full information and to book your tickets, click here.
