Sleeping Beauty at Nottingham Playhouse Review
Written by Hollie for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Hey up me ducks! Panto season has commenced at Nottingham Playhouse this week. Oh no, it hasn’t! Oh yes, it has! This year’s chosen Panto for the kingdom of Sherwood Shire is Sleeping Beauty, with Artistic Director Adam Penford at the helm at the Playhouse, which was voted Theatre of the Year 2025 at The Stage Awards earlier this year.
As the audience is serenaded and welcomed into the auditorium, bejewelled in their sparkly shoes and glittering dresses, the audience is involved and encouraged from the outset to cheer and boo the relevant characters. Will this be the Greatest Day? Or the Greatest Panto this year? Take That’s classic pop song rings out across the theatre as the audience settles in with their popcorn, sweets and beverages.
Will you be dancing the night away around the disco ball as the aptly named friendly fairy Fairy Lights introduces herself? Fairy lights, played by Charis Alexandra, welcomes us to the scene at the King’s castle, where the townspeople and the royal family are getting ready for Princess Rose’s first birthday party. This traditional tale, which hails originally from France, is explored in a modern way where the director and actors have thought outside the box. This was part of the appeal for me as dry, sarcastic humour was used as opposed to the obvious Americanised humour we are very often subjected to in modern times, particularly during a pantomime.
Spectacular scenery adorns the stage throughout the evening with an incredible attention to detail. It is bright, colourful and enchanting, which appeals to the younger members of the audience, but also includes local references if you look really closely at the artist’s illustrations. Cleo Pettitt and her team have to be commended for the use of their creative flair and imagination.
One of Princess Rose’s favourite toys, ‘Teddy the bear’ played by Danny Hendrix, takes to the stage as the audience’s favourite sidekick. He bounces around and gets the audience participating from the get go. The audience during that particular show were great participants, and they were happy to boo and aww when appropriate! Danny’s ability to make you feel as though you are Teddy’s best friend also helped the dynamic and made you feel as though there was bearly (barely) anyone else watching! See what I did there!
Rose’s childhood nanny Nelly, played by John Elkington, appears as the confident and lively nanny. The complete opposite of Mary Poppins, with her elaborate and extensive collection of costumes, which include clever details and nods to local people and places. John’s ability to remain in character throughout the show feels natural and perfect for the role. I would visit productions in the future purely just to experience Elkington on the stage again.
Playing the supposed baddie of the show is Lara Sas as Maleficent. Lara has a fabulous singing voice and was enthusiastic in her role as Rose’s nemesis. However, Maleficent did not feel like a believable baddie to me. This was possibly intentional, along with the use of dry humour as opposed to the classic pantomime one-liners, but I left wanting more from her in particular.
With the inclusion of modern pop songs from bands and artists such as One Direction and Chappell Roan, I had a jolly time. There were not too many ‘he’s behind yous’ and along with the up-to-date jokes and references, I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I have dropped a star in my rating due to the lack of the young chorus being used effectively within the show. It didn’t really feel like it was worth their time so I can imagine that would have been disappointing for family members watching their loved ones.
If you are looking for an enjoyable time out with your family and friends where you can laugh out loud at the Prince’s outrageous comments, bop along to some classic songs and spot the details in the scenery and costumes then I would highly recommend a visit to Nottingham Playhouse this festive season. Sleeping Beauty continued at Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 17th January 2026.
You can already book for next year’s pantomime ‘Aladdin’ which will be on stage from Friday 27th November 2026 until Saturday 16th January 2027.
★ ★ ★ ★
