Sleeping Beauty at Lighthouse Poole Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Anita Connor
What a ‘beauty’-ful production of the well-known fairy tale! It is a fun-filled family pantomime and parents are invited to “turn the volume up on their kids”! Panto is often a child’s first experience of a live theatrical show, and this performance has lots of fun and laughter to keep them engaged.
Happy Harry, played by Josh Haberfield, gets the audience participation going from the beginning in readiness for booing the wicked fairy Carabosse.
Chris Jarvis from CBeebies, wrote and directed the show and appears as Dame Nanny Nutkins. Lots of costume changes and loads of make-up turn Chris into a traditional panto dame. King Tucker is played by Todd Carty, known for his roles in Grange Hill, Eastenders and The Bill.
The bad fairy Carabosse cast her spell on both the audience and Princess Rose, sending her into a deep sleep which can only be broken by a Prince’s kiss. Everyone looks forward to booing the villain and Sarah Louise Young plays the part admirably. She has real stage presence and a beautiful voice; you could tell that she was really enjoying playing the role!
Princess Rose, played by Isabella Ribble and Prince Ken, played by Tom Mann, bring the love to the pantomime and they also brought beautiful voices. Melaina Pecorini makes her panto debut in the role of the good Fairy Sunbeam and she did a good job taming the evil spell of wicked Carabosse.
The spectacular special effects and the dazzling costumes combine with beautiful singing and dancing from all the cast to produce a great show. The fact that it is produced in-house makes it easy to refer to local areas that the audience can connect with. I certainly didn’t know that Princess Rose lived hidden away on Brownsea Island for the first 18 years of her life! It was nice that Scouting and Guiding was also brought into the show as these organisations are closely connected to Brownsea.
There are some jokes that only the adults in the audience would understand but there weren’t lots of innuendos which can make family viewing uncomfortable. The children in the audience certainly enjoyed the slapstick, messy scenes and the rendition of the 12 Days of Santa was a hit for everyone. There is one scary scene involving a dragon but apart from this, nothing to worry younger members of the audience.
The seats in the theatre are well-tiered so everyone should be able to see the stage. Be warned – if you sit too near the front, you may get wet!
Ticket prices range from £15 to £65 depending on the date and there are discounts for senior citizens and students. There are captioned, audio described, and relaxed performances and two shows with a British sign language interpreter on or near the stage.
Within the Lighthouse, there is the Beacon Café and a bar for refreshments and ice creams are also available. There was also a kiosk selling merchandise.
Thu 12 Dec 2024 – Sun 5 Jan 2025
I would definitely recommend this pantomime to all ages.
Rating: 5/5.
For more information visit www.lighthousepoole.co.uk or call the box office on 01202 280000
Poole Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG
https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/sleeping-beauty/
Tickets can be booked by visiting info@lighthousepoole.co.uk.
Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG.