Sleeping Beauty

Once again Emporium deliver a Christmas offering that is filled with delight. Not quite pure pantomime, Sleeping Beauty has here been taken on a comedic fairytale ride. By using flashbacks, Beauty herself gets a bit more to do than usual and this is no bad thing. Her parents, the King and Queen, are a well matched comedy double act and their cook Bilberry is the jam in what is a very tasty confection indeed. Emporium again have chosen Doug Devaney to write the script and he certainly knows how to keep an audience of all ages entertained. WIth lines that work on many levels, he seldom stoops to base innuendo and when he does he does so with a lightness of touch. Full marks too for the sparkling fairies from the Drama Queens club, well drilled and very funny too. Gary Blair’s set and costumes are excellent but sadly undersold by rather disappointing lighting, a small quibble that I am sure will be resolved, but after all I was there for the spirit of panto, and the laughs, and these came in spades.

Emporium, 11 December 2014
Rating:
Andrew Kay