Sleeping Beauty

If there’s one panto in Sussex to see this holiday season make sure it’s Eastbourne’s Sleeping Beauty. Bernie Nolan may have been absent from her role but Katie Day stepped up to give a great performance. Having not seen a panto since I was a child I was a bit skeptical. Cheesy? Yes. But immensely fun with it. What I’d forgotten too is how the entire audience is catered for with the Dame offering ‘safe’ adult jokes and a jester – in this instance Chester – entertaining the kids. With modern songs – yes, ‘Gangnam Style’ is there as is the classic ‘Time Warp’, teamed with time travel (Dr Who’s TARDIS makes an appearance) – this is Sleeping Beauty in proper panto style. In Disney films the Princess is the lead and the favourite but here in panto Fairy Fortywinks and Chester along with his ‘mum’ stole the show. The cake-making scene was a favourite but equally the entire set was used to great effect. Get caught up in the fun.

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, until 13 January 2013

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