Sleeping Beauty 2022

Review by Paul Towers, 25/11/2022

Sleeping beauty by Morgan Brind

Directed and designed by Morgan Brind

Produced by Little Wolf Entertainment and Loughborough Town Hall

At Loughborough Town Hall til Monday 2^nd January 2023

“a traditional pantomime with lots of added glitz”

If you want a traditional pantomime with lots of added glitz then Loughborough Town Hall’s 2022 offering of Sleeping Beauty from Little Wolf Entertainment is perfect for you.

Whilst the basic story is as old as time the modern references make it fresh and current. This doesn’t detract from the traditions that seasoned panto goers will relish. It is all there on stage; the handsome prince, the beautiful princess, the dozy jester, the outrageous dame and a villain to give Maleficent a run for her money. The story is simple a desperate king and queen make an enemy of the King’s sister, Carabosse, when they fail to invite her to their longed for daughter’s christening. Good Fairy Lights is only able to mitigate the curse to that of a 100 year sleep. The Prince vows to find the sleeping princess and awaken her with a kiss and everyone lives happily ever after.

Victoria Lucie as Princess Rose is a lot more feisty than Sleeping Beauty of old, a welcome sign of the times. Jake Reynolds as Prince Vince is the typically wet, nice but dim love interest. Oliver Stanley as the King booms his way around the castle trying desperately to protect his daughter while the comedy duo of Nurse Nancy Nightly (Sean McKenzie) and Mervin The Magician/Jester (Harry Polden) provide much of the laughter and litter the evening with a few jokes for the grown ups but mainly plenty of groan-worthy puns for the kids.

Marisa Harris as Carabosse has great fun chewing up the scenery and getting booed at every turn.

The main cast are boosted by several teams of young local dancers who take it in turns over the run.

The staging, designed by the author, is extravagant with glitter and gold everywhere. As a nod to old school pantos there is an imaginative black light sequence where Prince Vince fights his way through the forest to the sleeping princess.

The costumes, designed by Sara Rose, are a triumph of glamour, while Nurse Nancy Nightly has dozens of costume changes, each outfit more outrageous than the last. As it should be.

This is a great panto for introducing children to theatre. There is a sing-a-long, audience participation  and lots of laughs. There is even a huge dragon!

Sleeping Beauty runs at Loughborough Town Hall until Monday 2^nd January 2023

 

www.loughboroughtownhall.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

The Wizard of Oz

Review by Paul Towers, 24/11/22

The Wizard of Oz based on the book by L Frank Baum, adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams.

Music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by E Y Harberg, additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, additional  lyrics by Tim Rice

Directed by Nikolai Foster, choreographed by Shay Barclay

Produced by Curve by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Ltd

At Curve til Sunday 8^th January 2023

“a sensational production”

Well, what can I say about this sensational production of an old classic. Curve’s Nikolai Foster has gathered together a team of creatives to really bring the show uptodate. Be warned this is nothing like the fairly cosy Judy Garland version. With pyrotechnics and flashing lights, to say nothing of the day-glo costumes by Rachael Canning, this is a huge festive treat for adults and children alike. Although some caution is recommended for the under 6’s.

Curve’s extraordinary video projection facilities are put to good use here with a full stage scene setting tour of 1930’s Kansas. A large cast of 22 and a live orchestra of 11 under the stage are well served by Curve favourite Ben Cracknell’s imaginative lighting. Georgina Onuorah, making her Curve debut, is a feisty Dorothy with her trusty dog, Toto (ably puppet-ed by Ben Thompson) taking us on her journey along the iconic yellow brick road.

Meeting up with Scarecrow (a very athletic Jonny Fines making a welcome return to Curve), Tin Man (Paul French ) and The Cowardly Lion (Giovanni Spano) Dorothy embarks on her quest to meet The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Mark Peachey back at Curve once again). As The Wicked Witch of the West Ellie Mitchell took over from a sick Charlotte Jaconelli at short notice and gave it her all.

There is a plethora of electric vehicles from trucks to scooters (for Glinda, Christina Bianco) and huge set pieces that either fly down or roll in. A talented ensemble are everything from Munchkins to palace guards changing costumes in what seems a blink of an eye.

As well as all the well remembered songs from the movie Lloyd Webber and Rice have woven several new ones in to move the narrative along. There are also plenty of snippets of dialogue added for today’s audience.

Overall this is a visually superb production of a family favourite given a modern spritz.

The Wizard of Oz is on at Curve til Sunday 8^th January.

 

www.curveonline.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk

 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

 

Review by Paul Towers, 2/11/22

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach

Directed by Lucy Bailey

Produced by Simon friend

At Curve til Saturday 5 November 2022

“Feel good theatre for a wet November”

This is a star-studded stage production of the beloved film and TV series by Deborah Moggach based on her novel These Foolish Things.

Taking inspiration from all the tales of ex-pats moving to the Costa Brava this takes it one stage further as a group of retirees up sticks and move to Bangalore in India. Their motivation is that it is warm and cheap.

Some just want to bask in the sun and wait for the inevitable end while others look upon it as a new adventure.

Heading up the cast is acting royalty, Hayley Mills as Evelyn, a shy, diffident widow who doesn’t know how to emerge from the shadow of her deceased husband. Alongside her is Rula Lenska as Madge, a statuesque redhead looking for a maharajah to whisk her off her feet and keep her in the manner to which she wants to be accustomed.

The rest of the cast of characters each have their own stories to tell, some happy, some sad but all thrown together in this exotic mix of cultures in a strange land.

While the locals are, initially, stereotyped as servile second class citizens it quickly becomes obvious that they have much to teach the ex-pats.

There are lots of laughs right from the start as well as pointed digs at colonialism, poverty, the caste system, old age and call centres! But at the heart of the story is how different people deal with loss and old age in their own ways.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is at Curve until Saturday 5^th November and then touring until it hits the West End next year

www.marigoldshow.com

www.curveonline.co.uk

www.ptheatre.blogspot.co.uk