When my boyfriend’s parents accepted our invitation to join us at Eden Court’s Sleeping Beauty pantomime, I don’t think they imagined water pistols would be in the mix.
Neither did we, to be fair. But a scene in which the cast showered the audience was just one of the unexpected gags and twists that made the panto one of the best I have ever seen.
From the moment we arrived at the theatre, we knew we were in for something special. The set was nothing short of stunning with every inch bedazzled within an inch of its life. As is the case with most pantos, the audience was filled with young and old, all excited for whatever was to come.
Bangers to spare
I was pretty chuffed with myself when the show opened with Dance The Night from the Barbie movie as I had called it – I can’t imagine many pantos haven’t used at least one song from the hit film. This was only the first of many bangers to come too.
There was something for everyone with everything from Elton John’s I’m Still Standing to The Proclaimers’ Life With You and S Club 7’s Bring It All Back. Being part of an audience-wide Time Warp is something I won’t forget anytime soon either.
Each song was carried by the talented vocalists in the cast, with Tia Bobbi Henry as Beauty and Laura Blair as Fairy Flutterby as standouts. The latter’s rendition of When You Believe had me going into the interval with shivers.
Lots of laughs
A pantomime is nothing without laughs and Sleeping Beauty had gags to spare. If you hadn’t known D&E Coaches were sponsoring the show, you did very quickly.
The jokes were on a seemingly endless loop, most of them delivered by the dynamic duo that is Steven Wren and Ross Allan. The pair were Nurse Netty and Hilarious Hector respectively and it was worth seeing the panto just for them. I was thrilled to see them back on stage together after loving them in last year’s show, and they impressed me even more this time around.
One of the longest rounds of applause of the night was for Allan following his act two opening; a high-speed monologue detailing everything that had happened in the show so far. Wren showcased why he has been invited back to Eden Court as dame for an 11th year through his ease and natural ability to make everyone feel like his pal for the night.
Ironically, my favourite part of the night wasn’t actually supposed to happen. A forgotten prop snowballed into forgotten lines, fits of giggles and a dancer bumping into the set. It demonstrated just how talented everyone on stage was, and the beauty of the improv side of panto.
A feast for the eyes
The visual appeal of the set that was present from the start continued throughout Sleeping Beauty. Without spoiling anything, villain Carabosse’s dragon is something to behold, sending audible gasps around the auditorium. Nicola Auld did a wonderful job of portraying a character you just love to hate.
All costumes sparkled and shone but, of course, the ones I will remember are those of Nurse Netty. I had lost count of the costume changes about 10 minutes into the pantomime. From a spectacular bagpipe outfit to an entire diamante wedding cake, with a chicken in between, they were an absolute feast for the eyes.
It didn’t feel like there were any spare parts in the cast. Even the young cast were integrated into more scenes than I have seen before and the level of talent in the ensemble matched those in principal roles.
Eden Court’s pantomime was bursting with energy, light and laughter from start to finish.
One thing is for sure, Beauty was the only person feeling snoozy.
Book tickets
Sleeping Beauty is on at Eden Court until Sunday January 7. To book tickets, head to www.eden-court.co.uk or call the box office on 01463 234234.
