Review: Sleeping Beauty, Harold Pinter Theatre

Review: Sleeping Beauty, Harold Pinter Theatre

It’s a bizarre phenomenon that issues we cherished as youngsters are being turned grownup pleasant. Adult tender play and ball pits are permitting grumpy grownups to be foolish and play like youngsters – who can afford to have precise youngsters on this economic system anyway? Another mainstay of childhood within the UK is the pantomime, so it solely is sensible that the silliest of stage traditions will get the identical remedy. (Oh no, it doesn’t…)

A typical characteristic of panto is gender bending, so this festive season, to point out us the way it’s executed, let’s flip to the masters of leisure – drag artists. It helps, after all, that they know the right way to flip something into absolute filth, so it’s a secure wager for a NSFW panto. Miss Moppe has written an adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, enjoying for a restricted run on the Harold Pinter Theatre with a solid of eight well-known drag kings and queens.

The story you’d anticipate of Sleeping Beauty is loosely introduced, however that’s not likely what we’re there for. The solid options names that you simply’d recognise from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK comparable to Kitty Scott-Claus (enjoying Princess Beauty) and Michael Marouli (as Fairy Fabulous). From elsewhere on the drag circuit there’s additionally Yshee Black (as Muddles) and LoUis CYpher (enjoying King Clyde). The performers, as in any pantomime I suppose, are what you’re there to see – they supply the character, the jokes, the songs, the playfulness. In tonight’s present that is completely the case, with the solid bringing their particular person model and character to each character.

It helped that I used to be accustomed to many of the performers, and made it really feel a bit like I used to be watching humorous associates strutting their foolish stuff on stage. But the issue with teams could be the in-jokes, which have been ten-a-penny. If you’re a Drag Race fan and conscious of queer tradition then you definately’ll in all probability be superb, but when not, you would possibly marvel what lots of the laughs are for – though I’m undecided what would draw you to this specific panto should you don’t know any of the solid.

Drag could be tough and prepared typically, particularly in case your reference is the rapidly put collectively challenges on BBC Three. While this may be charming, my least favorite factor of tonight’s efficiency have been frequent references from the solid to how under-rehearsed the efficiency is. Frankly, it’s insulting to the individuals who forked out for a ticket to be instructed that they’ve purchased one thing no one put sufficient preparation into. It could be that a few of these have been written in as gags, but it surely made me discover loads of flaws and cracks.

Even so, the vast majority of the present which did work labored properly. It was cleverly written to point out off the very best of the person performers (Kemah Bob as Prynx Handsome a standout by far), with all the standard bits and items that make up conventional panto – the shouting alongside from the viewers, singing and clapping, innuendo, and a poor gentleman who will get picked on only for having sat within the stalls. The final half hour felt drawn out, and I’m wondering if some sections would work higher in a unique order, but it surely was general a goofy, humorous and actually enjoyable night.

Directed by: Chris Clegg
Written by: Miss Moppe
Produced by: Tuckshop

Sleeping Beauty is enjoying on the Harold Pinter Theatre till 31 December. Further info and bookings could be discovered right here.