Sleeping Beauty
Chris Jarvis
Directed by Michael Gattrell
The Arts Theatre Cambridge
Star rating 3
This solid, workmanlike panto marks the reopening of The Arts Theatre Cambridge after its long closure and £17m refurb. And there was certainly a party atmosphere in the bright foyer spaces even before we entered the auditorium complete with new seating, a wrap round balcony and the smell of new carpet. Then lights flashed (some of them rather too brightly), the three piece band in the pit struck up festively and we zoomed off to Trumpington Towers – after a rather awkward introduction and welcome by the new team at The Arts: Rachel Tackley, creative director and Victoria Beechey, executive director
Matt Crosby, in his 20th year of panto at The Arts, commands the stage as Nanny Nutkins and is greeted by the audience as an old friend. He commands the stage, looks wonderful and times most of his jokes with aplomb. Unfortunately on press night – billed as a gala performance – this wasn’t always the case with the rest of the cast. Jarvis’s script is quite clever in that it buries some pretty lewd jokes in the dialogue for adults to chuckle at, unnoticed by children. Sadly, like the ordinary jokes, much of that was hurried over too fast and lost, possibly due to opening night nerves.
Stephen Roberts, however, is good value as Happy Harry, once he settles. He moves his body like rubber, has a splendid range of funny faces and his patter song listing Cambridgeshire villages to the tune of the Can-Can is one of the best things in the show. Tanisha Butterfield sings well as Fairy Strawberry and evinces lots of warmth. And Tricia Adele-Turner (Carabosse) is an excellent singer so goodness knows why she doesn’t get a big number until the second half.
It’s an interesting take on a time-honoured plot – although the Cambridge references are overdone as if everyone is trying too hard. In this version Princess Rose (Daisy Twells – suitably Barbie-like) meets her princely hunk (Joseph Hewlett as Prince Ken) before she goes into her long sleep which actually puts a different complexion on the narrative. The structure is odd too. Normally we get the birthday greetings and shout-outs, children on stage with singalong etc only once the plot is fully resolved, Here there is more story afterwards which feels a bit laboured. On reflection it’s probably best to stick to the tried and tested formula.
Nonetheless it’s a likeable enough show which will, I suspect, bed down and mellow during the run. The six person ensemble provides some very watchable dance numbers and Tom Mulliner’s lighting design adds plenty of seasonal glitz to the production.
