Sleeping Beauty
Stafford Gatehouse’s offering for panto this year is Sleeping Beauty. A tale of a wicked fairy’s evil curse. When Princess Beauty is about to turn eighteen, she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel and falls into a sleep that will last a hundred years. The only way to break the curse is to receive a kiss from her one true love. Who is this true love? And what happens when he is kidnapped by the wicked fairy and her dragon? Who will come to their rescue?
Directed by Scott Le Crass, with Musical Direction by Clive Fishlock, this Imagine Theatre co-production is full of laughs and lively musical numbers to entertain all the family. This is certainly not a sleepy attempt at a pantomime performance!
Mark Rhodes returns this year as Hilarious Harry alongside David Phipps-Davis as Nurse Nora Knickerbocker, the pair have a great on stage partnership creating some great laughs and Phipps-Davis’s costumes hold jokes all of their own in their brilliant designs.
Additional laughs are provided by Ian Billings as King Louis, naturally very comedic in his portrayal as Beauty’s father and delightful to watch. Samantha Spragg as Carabosse plays to the audiences boos well and Emily Vinnicombe as Fairy Flutterby brings some nice calm to the story and keeps us nicely on track.
The star turn of the night must go to Finlay McKillop as Prince Rufus of Rugeley, not only a great performer and a face to watch for the future, but also some of the most impressive vocals we have heard. Outstanding!
Verity Bray’s choreography is aesthetically pleasing but could have been performed with more characterisation and motive within the storyline. Barry Smith’s Lighting Design and Kate Harvey’s Sound provide a nice atmosphere to the production. However, some noisy scene changes and the underuse of an inflatable dragon could have been improved upon for a more rounded finish.
Overall, this is a great night at the theatre and an enjoyable pantomime performance. Supported by a live band, (Clive Fishlock on Keys, Eric Rupert on Bass and Aaron O’Sullivan on Drums), audiences will be singing and clapping along and sharing one of the most important theatre experiences of the year with their loved ones, young and old.
This show was reviewed on the 10th December at the Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford where it runs until the 4th January 2026. Tickets available here: Sleeping Beauty Pantomime 2025/2026 - Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Review written by Rachel Louise Martin
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Photo credit: Supplied by Production
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