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SLEEPING BEAUTY! WAKE UP LITTLE SNOOZY!
by Sarah Nixon & Mark Chatterton
Directed by Mark Chatterton
Liverpool Everyman
Christmas 2010/11
In the Kingdom of Aigburth, in the days of olde,
An epic tale was about to unfold.
When to the King and Queen a babe t'was born,
They threw a great party on the palace lawn!
They invited the world but forgot just one,
And that's when their nightmare had truly begun.
The forgotten fairy was dementedly miffed,
And roared his wrath as he delivered his gift!
"On her eighteenth birthday she'd prick her finger!
Fade away and no longer linger!
It's shocking! It's rocking! It's incredibly cool!
But for this baby shower bring a cagoule!
Slip on your spandex,shake ya booty,
And help change the fate of Sleeping Beauty!! |
Liverpool Confidential
TAKE a dash of familiar faces, a more than healthy dose of music and dance and a dollop of broad humour and the
result is a one of the best nights of the year at Liverpool’s Everyman.
The team behind Sleeping Beauty, this year’s rock 'n' roll panto, have excelled themselves with the last Christmas
show in the Everyman auditorium as we know and love it.
It isn’t the set and costumes which steal the show. That plaudit goes to a fantastic cast who break every sinew in
making sure the feelgood factor remains high.
Sarah Nixon and Mark Chatterton, co-writers, the latter of whom also directs, have written too many of these tales to recall.
Alongside musical director Tayo Akinbode, the three take us on yet another fantastic journey with tunes from the likes of Queen,
Tina Turner, The Beatles and The Black Eyed Peas.
As colourful as a large pile of Christmas presents, this production is quite simply gorgeous, with a garish but functional set
designed by Dinah England, and glorious costumes designed Jacquie Davies.
But it isn’t the set and costumes which steal the show. That plaudit goes to a fantastic cast who break every sinew in making
sure the feelgood factor remains high.
Francis Tucker, now in his eighth Everyman panto, plays not one but two dames - Queen Scarlet of Egg Bush and the Brummie
monarch of Nutbush, Queen Norma - alongside his partner in crime, fellow Everyman panto veteran, Adam Keast as both King
Ashley and King Noddy (hence the Brummie accents) they are the super-glue holding the show together.
The pair bag the biggest laughs and keep both the children and adults smiling, laughing and cheering as the story unfolds with
style, poise and grace.
Musically, it is the nifty guitar riffs from Jonny Bower on lead guitar (as well as playing Phileas Frog and Peggy Heggarty) and the
dulcet tones of Matthew Wycliffe (Prince Ned) that set the auditorium alight.
The tale is set in the kingdom of Egg Bush, a far away land, where the King and Queen are blessed by Milly Moon Beam
(the fantastic Nicky Swift) with a darling daughter (Ruby, played by Sarah Vezmar).
Deciding to celebrate, rock ‘n’ roll style, they invite the world to a right royal party but forget to invite one particular fairy, the dastardly
Oderon, played with aplomb by David McGranaghan, who causes more trouble than they ever could have imagined.
The nine immensely talented, multi-skilled musician / dancer / performers are blatant in their enjoyment and actually seem to be
having as much fun as the audience. When things go wrong - as they inevitably do and will in panto - plenty of skillful ad-libbing
keep things rolling and any rough edges to the show only add to its warmth and charm.
With a production like this, it is hard not to go into superlative overload.
We may have no Everyman for Christmas 2011 but assurances have already been made that the rock ‘n’ roll panto will live on at
The Playhouse.
Christmas without the Everyman Panto would be like turkey without the stuffing or festive telly without the Queen’s speech.
Wake up, little snoozies, and book.
[Ian Moore]
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Liverpool's Cultural Champions
This is literally a laugh a minute! A really great camp panto with loads of jokes for the kids and adults and wonderful rock ‘n roll numbers.
You can tell what’s coming when you hear that the prince’s father is called Nutbush!
The cast is great, good singers and musicians too with a stage set up at the back of the stage where they play the songs that move the
play along. You all know the story, princess pricks her finger on a poison spinning wheel, goes into deep slumber only to be awakened
by a kiss from a charming prince. Well, that’s the only thing that is conventional about this.
There are great camp performances all round, Nicky Swift as Milly Moon Beam is a great singer, Francis Tucker as Queen Ashley of
Egg Bush very funny as a dame. My favourites though were Adam Keast as King Ashley of Egg Bush and David McGranaghan as Oderon.
David was particularly good, reminiscent of Tim Curry as Doctor Frankenfurter. He should consider taking that role in future.
If you want a good hearty laugh this Christmas then look no further than this great singalong, laughalong panto! It is guaranteed to make
you feel good no matter what the weather!
By the way, watch out for the two gnomes, George and Michael…….stay away from their fishing rods!!!
Sleeping Beauty – Wake Up Little Snoozie runs at the Everyman until 22nd January. |
Chester Chronicle
THERE is no greater relief for a parent during panto season than to turn up to a show and realise the writers have not forgotten their
audience is not exclusively comprised of eight-year-olds.
To be fair, the Liverpool Everyman rock ‘n’ roll panto tradition can usually be relied upon to ensure a first class combination of slapstick
comedy for the younger ones and risque gags for the grown-ups.
And the success of this year’s Sleeping Beauty could be observed in the expressions of my own primary age son who laughed his
head
off during the pratfalls and looked extremely puzzled when adults around him guffawed knowingly at the well disguised rude jokes.
Helping this process was the wonderful cast - many of them returning from last year’s triumphant Dick Whittington - who experienced
great satisfaction themselves from cracking gags that registered with only half the audience!
This was a Sleeping Beauty with a difference. Many of the traditional elements were there - the evil curse, the spinning wheel, true love’s
kiss, etc.
But writers Mark Chatterton and Sarah Nixon split the role of the wicked fairy in two so everyone could share out their boos between
dashingly devilish Oderon (David McGranaghan) and his mother from hell Peggy Heggerty (Jonny Bower).
Once again, we were treated to two outrageously comic figures in the decidedly different shapes of Francis Tucker and Adam Keast
who have developed into a fine scene-stealing comedy double act - this time in a total of four roles as the Kings and Queens of rival
towns Eggbush and Nutbush.
Principal boy and girls roles were filled by the ever delightful Sarah Vezmar as Beauty herself - known here as Ruby Tuesday -
and Matthew Wycliffe as Prince Ned while Nicky Swift brought her own special fairy magic to the role of Millie Moon Beam.
The final vital element added to the mix was the music which included classic numbers like Nutbush City Limits and Don’t Stop Believin’
(destined to be a ubiquitous panto song this season thanks to Glee) but also bang up to date offerings.
As an added bonus for all us Doctor Who fans, the legendary Time Lord himself turned up to save the day with Jonny Bower transforming
himself into an incredibly convincing Matt Smith lookalike!
[Michael Green] |
Remote Goat
*****
Which means that the familiar story of Sleeping Beauty is given so many anarchic, turbo-charged twists a first-timer may be forgiven for
thinking they're hallucinating.
This version - subtitled Wake Up Little Snoozie - has almost as much in common with A Midsummer Night's Dream (albeit as interpreted
by Round the Horne) as with the original fairy-tale, with directing and writing partners Mark Chatterton and Sarah Nixon using the source
material as a jumping-off point for a romp of fantastic imagination and silliness.
With the cast having almost as much fun as the audience, there is an added sense of imminent chaos; instead, the whole is held together
wonderfully by fabulous acting, impressive musicianship and production values that make you forget the Everyman is very much in need of
its imminent rebuild.
Panto favourites Adam Keast and Francis Tucker are once again on top form, here as King Ashley and Queen Scarlet, the royal parents of
Princess Ruby (the Sleeping Beauty of the title). Ruby is played with great charisma and energy by Sarah Vezmah - an excellent cat in last
year's Dick Whittington. Nicky Swift's Fairy makes another magical appearance, with newcomer David McGranaghan as Oderon providing
a brilliant nemesis who seems to become more dastardly the more we boo, whilst still being able to appeal to our sympathies.
It wouldn't be A Rock n' Roll Panto without great performances of great songs, and they're here in abundance.
Above all, though - and most importantly - the show is simply great fun. It didn't just make me forget I was there as a critic; it actually made
me forget I'm (supposed to be) an adult.
[Ed Barrett] |
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