Theatre

Sleeping Beauty At The Hawth Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Amanda Hayes

Nothing says Christmas more than a pantomime and thousands of families fill theatres at this time of year, looking for a fun night out. If you or your family are looking for a fabulous festive treat this year, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the brilliant performance of Sleeping Beauty at the Hawth Theatre, Crawley, with its great parking and easy access to the M23.  We arrived around 15 minutes before our 7pm performance and parked easily even though it was showing as a packed performance on line.

Sleeping Beauty was held in the main theatre and there was hardly a spare seat left as we took our places ready for the start of the show, being busy is never a problem at The Hawth though as every seat in the auditorium has an excellent view.

Produced by Paul Hendy and Emily Wood, producers of many a fine pantomime at The Hawth, the performance tells the traditional story of the beautiful Aurora who gets cursed by the evil Carabosse.  If she pricks her finger with a spinning wheel before her 21st birthday, she will die.  The family destroys all the spinning wheel’s in the land, but one, and their begins the story.

Carrie Hope Fletcher plays a great part as the evil Carabosse, belting out some great tunes in typical panto fashion. While her counterpart, Good Spirit Moonbean (Scott Page – The Great British Bake Off -The Musical) brings a lovely upbeat sparkle to the stage.  Whilst wooing Aurora (Chrystine Symone) singer songwriter Luke Walsh really showed his credentials as Prince Michael showcasing his lovely singing voice and stage presence.

Aurora’s best friend Jangles, played by Andy Day of CBeebies fame, beings in some witty one liners and audience participation but its Nurse Nellie, played by Michael J Batchelor that really gets the laughs.  After a decade of playing the panto Dame at the Hawth, he knows how to play the crowd, and stuns in the amazing costumes he designs and makes himself.  As is traditional he picks a man from the front row to be the love interest for the whole performance, but it’s all with jolly good humour and plenty of good gags.  Throughout the show, the main characters are joined by a group of fabulous dancers including eight amazing children who do a foot perfect performance to every song.

To add even more wow factor to the show, halfway through, Josh Morris & Kris Madden aka Circus Uncertainty, straight back from Cirque Du Soleil Montreal, bring their amazing fire dancing skills to the stage, the fire was so hot we could feel it in the stalls!

We had a fantastic family evening’s entertainment watching Sleeping Beauty at the Hawth and whilst you could see cheaper shows elsewhere, this is the legendary Hawth panto with amazing scenery, stunning costumes, and even displays of fire.

With most dates having two shows per day until the 31st December and a range of prices per show, there is something for everyone, but book soon as tickets are selling out fast.

It’s the one to watch this festive season, but just a warning, you may need your raincoat!

Rating: 4.5/5.

Ticket costs range from £20.50 to £39.50

Sleeping Beauty is at The Hawth, Crawley from 10 December 2023 – 31 December 2023 for more information or to book tickets visit https://www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/the-hawth/whats-on/sleeping-beauty or call the box office on 01293 553636

Address of theatre : The Hawth, Hawth Avenue, Crawley,RH10 6YZ

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