Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
There's plenty of big sparkle in Nottingham Playhouse's grand pantomime offering of Sleeping Beauty this year.
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| John Elkington as Nelly the Nanny. Photo by Manuel Harlan. |
We are instantly swept up in the fairy tale as soon as the curtain rises, the music strikes up with Take That's 'Greatest Day' before it turns into 'Dance The Night' made famous in the Barbie movie. You are instantly struck by Cleo Pettitt's stunning design. From gorgeous painted curtains to larger scenery, every part of Pettitt's design is well imagined and enhances the entire production. The same can be said for the costumes. They all look magnificent. Particularly those worn by John Elkington's Nelly the Nanny.
Whilst the majority of the classic Sleeping Beauty story is here, some cuts and edits don't always enhance the tale, but it all does rattle through with some fun set pieces. Gone is the whole true love's first kiss to reawaken the princess, but many of the key moments do remain. It is certainly a stronger production in the second act.
John Elkington uses all his experience and is a terrific Dame as Nelly the Nanny. Elkington is instantly likeable and you are completely on side. His experience means he feels totally at ease. He gets some of the best looks, including a glorious festive outfit in the finale. His search for an understudy sees him bring up an audience member to the stage to much hilarity.
Danny Hendrix plays Teddy the Bear (the childhood bear of Princess Rose), which comes to life. It's quite an impressive costume that Hendrix manages superbly, and it will delight the younger audience members. The teddy theme runs into the songsheet scene, which features 'The Teddy Bears Picnic' and kids from the audience. Although the kids themselves play a fun beanbag-related game rather than sing the song.
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| Danny Hendrix (Centre) as Teddy the Bear and the company. Photo by Manuel Harlan. |
Lara Sas is fierce and fiery as the evil Maleficent. She has a strong stage presence and powerful vocals. The dragon's layer sequence is staged superbly, including some wowing fire effects. Charis Alexandra, as Fairy Lights, also has a great voice and presence. It's great to see the character go on a journey from trainee fairy to a fully fledged fairy by the end.
Yazmin King as Princess Rose and Seb Harwood as The Prince well befit the main central relationship of the show. Although the romance is there, it's not overplayed. There are some lovely moments, I enjoyed references to The Railway Children's famous line 'Daddy, My Daddy' as Rose and The King reunite and Harwood's Prince West Side Story dance as he freed The King from Maleficent's capture. TJ Lloyd is constantly warm as The King. He has a charm and bright smile that makes him really watchable.
The 4-piece live band are tremendous, really adding flair and theatricality to the show. The music choices are strong throughout, offering a variety of numbers from both the charts and the stage. There's a standout rendition of 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' in the first half featuring much of the cast and some nifty choreography by Rosanna Bates. The numbers are engaging and always high energy. Credit must go to the young chorus, who add strong movement to the musical numbers.
What the production lacks is a sense of play. There doesn't feel that natural fun that I've seen in other productions this year. The comedy could be played more, the laughs could be pushed a bit more but it all feels a little restricted. The slosh scene does not really land and could be delivered better. The bench scene also feels underpowered.
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| Yazmin King as Princess Rose. Photo by Manuel Harlan |
There are plenty for all ages to enjoy throughout. References to things that the younger ones won't understand and vice versa, moments that will fly over the adults' heads. It's great to see these references littered throughout.
From the dazzling spectacles, the enjoyable song choices and likeable performances, this is a Sleeping Beauty that is high-quality entertainment that will enthral all comers to Nottingham Playhouse this festive season.
Sleeping Beauty runs until Saturday 17th January 2026. Tickets are available from https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/sleeping-beauty-2/
If you are unable to attend the theatre in person, you can rent the production to stream from 16th December. You can find out more details from https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/events/on-demand-panto/
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