Sleeping Beauty at the London Palladium – will keep even the sleepiest audience awake!
The annual London Palladium pantomime has become a festive tradition for thousands of families across the UK.
For its tenth anniversary, the Palladium is celebrating in style with a brand new production of Sleeping Beauty starring Catherine Tate, Julian Clary, Jon Culshaw, Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Rob Madge, along with rising talents Emily Lane and Amonik Melaco.
The show opens with a musical tribute to a decade of Palladium pantos as Rob Madge leads the audience through highlights from each year. Special guests appear throughout and the sense of celebration is unmistakable. Rob is the glue that holds the entire production together. Their gift for storytelling is unmatched and they are the ideal guide.
REVIEW: GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS (London Palladium) ★★★★
This year’s production feels polished and thoughtful with clear effort put into creating a panto worthy of the tenth anniversary.
The set and costumes look beautiful and the show offers a genuinely festive night out. The end of act one is a standout moment. Using the entire auditorium to protect Sleeping Beauty, the creative team delivers a magical sequence that must have been a technical nightmare but pays off perfectly.
As the villain Carabosse, Catherine Tate gives the audience exactly what they hoped for with appearances from several of her beloved characters including Nan.
Nigel Havers brings warmth and charm as the Keeper of the Privy. It feels like he is simply being himself and that is exactly why the audience loves him.
Emily Lane makes a lovely Princess Aurora. She is a genuine rising star with a bright future ahead. She will soon lead the UK tour of Mean Girls and has been working in the West End since childhood. Her talent shines through in every scene.
Julian Clary, as King Julian, is the perfect host for this kind of show. His razor sharp wit, constant innuendo and audience interaction make him the star attraction. His tongue twister routine with Catherine Tate in act two is a delight and a real crowd pleaser.
Jon Culshaw is a treat as King Julian’s Private Detective and his political impressions, including a very funny Donald Trump, land perfectly.
Returning from last year’s ensemble, Amonik Melaco is delightful as Prince Peter, grounding the chaos around him with style.
While the production shines in many ways, some of the comedy feels questionable. Earlier this season Pete Firman caused a stir during Robin Hood at the New Wimbledon Theatre by telling a man to punch a female stranger in the face.
Here Paul Zerdin misjudges the room, joking to audience members in the Grand Circle to “jump”. It is all meant in fun but still feels unnecessary and could be very un-christmassy if someone were to take these jokes too literally.
Zerdin’s ventriloquism is as strong as ever although his routine now feels familiar.
The London Palladium panto remains a festive staple and this tenth anniversary edition delivers plenty of sparkle even if a few jokes feel misplaced. It is still a joyful night out for families who return year after year to be part of the tradition.
★★★★
West End Wilma
Photos by Paul Coltas
Big shout out to the hard working ensemble of the show
Charlie Goddard
Claudia Lilly
Courtenay Brady
Danny Coburn
Demmileigh Foster
Dianté Lodge
Ediz Ibrahim
Emma Hunter
Frankie Wright
Grant Thresh
Katie Dunsden
Keely Chamberlain
Louis Mackrodt
Lowri Hamilton
Ruby Hood
Tonto Appiah
Christopher Howell (Associate Director & Standby for King Julian)
Suzy Bloom (Standby for Carabosse)
Christopher Hewitt (Standby for The Diva of Dreams & The Keeper of the Privy)
