SuffolkNews reviews rock ‘n’ roll panto Sleeping Beauty at the New Wolsey Theatre, in Ipswich
A mysterious girl, a dragon and two dames – what more could you want from a rock ‘n’ roll panto?
SuffolkNews was invited to review the latest festive offering from the New Wolsey, known for its pantomimes packed with pop and rock hits and talented, multi-skilled musicians and actors.
Here’s what SuffolkNews reporter Suzanne Day and her daughter thought of the panto at the Ipswich town centre theatre:
Taking my seat I immediately loved the beautiful set, which was covered in hundreds of flowers.
Zoë Hurwitz and the creative team deserve recognition for their colourful and original design.
At the start of Sleeping Beauty the atmosphere in the audience was slightly lukewarm. I don’t tgink this was necessarily anything to do with the show, but more down to it being the end of a long week.
With a brief nod to Ralph Fiennes and Ed Sheeran at the start of the performance, I was slightly sceptical about how things would pan out.
I needn't have worried.
The moment the audience came alive was when Prince Toby of Framlingham (Alexander Zane) performed a Peter Andre classic, much to the delight of his very own mysterious girl Princess Aurora (Mya Fox-Scott).
This was only the first spark of joy throughout this alternative take on Sleeping Beauty.
Many heartwarming moments were ahead, thanks to Laura Gómez Gracia's performance as Milo, the friendly dragon – and yes, of course there needs to be a dragon in Sleeping Beauty.
Though a big fan of Prince Toby and his sidekick Jimmy James (Signe Larsson), I loved the relationship between Milo, Aurora and Rosie (Craig Anderson). You will just have to watch the panto to find out what I mean.
Alongside all the differences from the traditional storyline, dames Craig Anderson as Rosie and Max Gallagher as the evil Thornica ensured everything you might expect from a panto was included.
A nod must also be given to the British Sign Language interpreter on the night of our show.
She did not stop smiling and dancing and the actors made sure she was included.
The majority of the cast were new to panto at the Wolsey and they certainly didn’t shy away from the task at hand, not only acting and dancing but showing their musical prowess on various instruments.
As you would expect, the setlist was as uplifting as the colourful costumes worn by the two dames
At the end of the panto my daughter Rosie was up on her feet smiling, clapping and spinning as the cheesy but cheerful encore rang out around the New Wolsey.
After the curtain call, Rosie was desperate to meet the cast – which shows how much she loved it and her favourite charachter the king (Meg Narongchai).
As for me? I thought it was a joyful, alternative and inclusive take on a classic fairytale and pantomime.
Sleeping Beauty runs at the New Wolsey, in Ipswich, until January 18.
Audio Description, BSL interpretation, captioning, relaxed/dementia-friendly options, touch tours and livestream performances are all available to book on the theatre’s website.
