REVIEW: SLEEPING BEAUTY by Luke Adamson at Bridge House Theatre, Penge until 30 December 2024

‘Imaginative, accomplished small-scale panto’ ★★★★

In general I prefer these small-scale low budget pantomimes to the big glitzy ones. It means that the production really has to rely on good writing and acting rather than it all getting blurred by special effects and amplified singing. And Luke Adamson, artistic director of Bridge House Theatre, who wrote and directed this show is an accomplished writer (The Girl in the Green Room, One Last Waltz etc) and actor. He multi-roles in this entertaining four hander.

It’s a slightly different take on the traditional Sleeping Beauty story with the most imaginative reworking of the spinning wheel scene I’ve seen yet. No spoilers but it involves Pink Floyd on vinyl. And when the princess (Georgina May Hayley) falls into her long sleep she is actually in Carabosse’s castle so there’s a stronghold for the rescue party to quest their way into. And the prince emerges from an unexpected place – the joys of working with a very small dramatis personae in a limited space and just four actors.

Brendan Matthew is very good as Dame Dirty Girtie, flirting with the audience, making a joke out of over acting and looking suitably ridiculous (his costumes are by Amanda Beauchamp) especially in his yoga scene. Stefani Ariza is strong as Carabosse, black-clad and twitchy and proves herself a talented puppeteer with Sheryl the Crow as her familiar – the double voicing works a treat.

Haley is delicate, with cod French accent as Fairy Nice and turns Princess Bella into a very believable irritated and irritable teenager desperate to experience some real life as her eighteenth birthday approaches. She is quite a singer too.

Adamson is richly versatile, presenting a king who speaks RP, a fairy who uses an exaggerated version of the actor’s native Yorkshire and Willy who talks in south London vernacular. And this is pantomime, which – as always – is partly a send up of theatre and there’s a hilarious moment when Adamson charges off stage, pulling off his costume, in order to reappear almost immediately as another character.

Other high spots include a high speed tongue twister sequence (vessel with the pestle, chalice with the palace and more), a pretty messy slosh scene using real flour, eggs and milk, a clever time warp sequence involving tardis and a terrific rendering of a UK version of Geoff Mack’s 1959 song “I’ve Been Everywhere” taken at prestissimo.

Of course there’s no room (or budget) for fancy scenery at the Bridge House so this whole show operates round a single multi-purpose bench with video scenes projected on the back wall – another feat of imaginative flair.

SLEEPING BEAUTY 

Written and directed by Luke Adamson

Bridge House Theatre, Penge 17 – 30 December

Box Office

CAST

Brendan Matthew

Dame Dirty Gertie

Georgina May Haley

Princess Bella / Fairy Nice

Luke Adamson

Willy Wetlettuce

Stefani Ariza

Carabosse

Presented by JLA Productions

Choreographed by Brendan Matthew

Designed by Luke Adamson and JLA Productions

Photography JLA Productions