2023 marks the quatercentenary of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Published in 1623, little did Edward Blount and Isaac Jaggard know that years later, this world-famous book would join forces with the Brothers Grimm to give birth to Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick!.
After years of sell-out shows at Above the Stag, the creative team ventures into pastures new at the Charing Cross Theatre. Nestled in the West End, the show is finally where it belongs, in amongst the country’s leading theatrical offerings, only a stone’s throw from Soho, celebrating the LGBT+ community and demonstrating that the genre has endless potential, so long as you embrace its tried and tested conventions.
In writers Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper’s production, Slutovia’s Prince Camembert wants to reign supreme, so bumps off his brother, the King, and hatches a plan to bump off his nephew too. Part Dick Dastardly-cum-Lord Farquaard-cum-Stewie from Family Guy, Chris Lane’s Camembert is a divine Diva and camp as Christmas. Whilst all the sharp objects in the land are banished, it’s not quite that type of prick that nephew Prince Arry needs protecting from, and the more he’s denied what he yearns, the more he craves it. 21 years pass and all seems to be going well, but when a UFO crash lands with Myles Hart’s extra-horny extra-terrestrial, all it takes is a little persuasion from the now-King Camembert to convince Zupp to do the deed and fulfil his prophesy.
Whilst the plot may sound farfetched, the genius of the creative team is that they present a narrative full of integrity, merely updating and queering situations and plot points to remain relevant to their audience. Nods to Prince Harry, Ted Talks and Madonna give it satirical flair, whist references to poppers, fisting and slut drops strengthen the sense of a shared community.
A staple of the Above the Stag pantomimes, Matthew Baldwin is a lesson in the art of Daming as Queen Gertrude. Each line is deliciously delivered, from traditional puns to less innocent innuendo. Baldwin playfully holds the audience in the palm of his hand, always driving the show, but never leaving the audience feeling uncomfortable or awkward with his jibes, responses and audience participation. Whilst so many adult pantomimes rely on profanity and ridicule, Sleeping Beauty is played full of truth; rather than being patronised, it is celebrated and subverted. When Queen Gertrude announces, “apparently we have some birthdays in the house tonight,” the audience await in anticipation at who might be afforded a shoutout. Having caught sight of the list, Gertrude swiftly hands it to a servant and quips, “how nice,” acknowledging the tradition, its usual never-ending list of names and deliciously sending up the usual fair.
Bradfield and Hooper’s writing is rich with references, multi-layered for all members of the audience. A particular highlight is act two’s Ascot-inspired plot resolution in a series of scenes that cleverly play with the notion of generational inheritance. A musical number paying homage to My Fair Lady becomes a showstopper when the ensemble begin to describe the racegoers’ differing hats to the tune of "Jellicle Cats". Such affection for the theatre, for punning and for pantomime makes this a hearty celebration for all and demonstrate the witty dexterity of Bradfield’s lyrics.
A rarity in Pantoland, Nikki Biddington’s female comic in the form of Maid Myrtle demonstrates just how successful such an approach can be, full of warmth, wit, sincerity and sass. With her Buttons-esque love for Tom Mann’s happy-go-lucky-yet-horny Prince Arry, the two possess great chemistry in their friendship. Indeed, it is this that makes the show’s haunted bedroom sequence one of the best seen in recent years. From reactions to falling spiders and over-friendly paintings, to a perfectly timed ‘It’s Behind You’ thanks to director Andrew Beckett’s excellent pacing and knowledge of the genre, the piece really takes off when Myrtle is confronted with the ghoul and, rather than being alarmed, tweaks out further pieces to the Hamlet-esque plot through comedic spectral interplay.
Sleeping Beauty Takes A Prick! is a panto with perfect proportions. There’s not a stuff of padding in sight and everything is well balanced, from tradition to innovation, character development to narrative drive, song to text ratio and set pieces to plot. A must for all good boys, girls and non-binaries, not to mention the naughty ones, He’s Behind You!’s Sleeping Beauty Takes a Prick! is truly the pride of Pantoland.