Nethmi Karunanayake as the Wicked Fairy. Photo / Supplied
Nethmi Karunanayake as the Wicked Fairy. Photo / Supplied
WHAT: Sleeping Beauty WHERE: Shambles Theatre WHEN: August 28-September 7
It's some while since Rotorua theatre has delivered a parents and kids show, with Sleeping Beauty, the Pantomime the Little Theatre has broken the drought.
And a rollicking good job they've made of it.
By its very nature panto should be a barrel of laughs, punctuated by audience participation with oohs and arrhs in all the right (and sometimes wrong) places.
This is exactly what director Steve English has delivered with a cast that's a pleasing mix of familiar local on-stage fixtures and fresh young faces making their performing debuts.
What's cool about Sleeping Beauty the Shambles way is how English has adapted the regular version to run with a script that's pitched to be Rotorua-relevant.
The good fairies come from Glenholme, a place far far away is Tokoroa.
Erica Walker in Sleeping Beauty. Photo / Supplied
There are lots of throwaway lines and double entendres that adults will grasp, the kids won't, but so what?
There's plenty more action in this classic fairy story with a twist to keep them edge-of-the-seat entertained which is what real deal panto is all about.
The curtain rises on Bottom Struggle preparing to become Nanny to the newly born Princess Petal/Sleeping Beauty (Erica Walker), daughter of Rotorua's king and queen (the reliable Ron Cane partnered with Natalie Dally).
Their arrival's announced by Hornblower (Chloe Marshall) who, throughout the show and via a variety of instruments, makes more noise than an entire brass band at full throttle.
Playing the deliciously wicked fairy Seducia, Nethmi Karunanayake proves she's grown on the early promise she showed in February's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
It should have been Shamble's regular Wendy Burgess playing her sidekick, Scrumpox, on opening night but she was too unwell to take the stage. In the true spirit of theatre "the show must go on" maxim English replaced her, script in hand and was a riot.
By Act 2 the newbies were in command.
Tamahou Smith made the sensual Snipitoff a delight to watch, bagpipe playing Ramditin (Hudson Weight) has cultivated a Scottish accent that defies description.
And that's just a taster of the talent on display. All 16 involved played their hearts out which is the way panto should be played.
Treat the family to a night out at Shambles, or a Saturday and Sunday matinee, and have fun, fun, fun.
- For ticketing details go to www.eventfinda.co.nz
