The South Hill Park venue in Bracknell has a track record of creativity in its pantomimes over the last few years with a core team who work miracles with limited budgets to stage upbeat, fun, modern pantomimes for their local community. This year, they turn to Sleeping Beauty and cleverly combine its usual 100-year time frame with a celebration of the venue’s own 50th anniversary by setting the story in the South Hill Palace, starting in 1905 with Rose’s birth, her 18th in 1923 and her awakening by a kiss from her one true love in 1973 so that the celebration can include turning the Palace into a theatre and we, today, are there for the end of traditional 100 years.

Joyce Branagh’s script (her fifth for the venue) weaves the music from those eras, with the familiar fairytale, a touch of Mary Poppins and Puff the Magic Dragon, plenty of traditional panto business and gives it a fresh modern feel with a Princess that takes charge and a Butler who fancies the Prince. Adam Stafford’s direction (his seventh year) ensures everybody plays it with bags of energy and personality, and wonderfully integrates the Junior Ensemble into the storytelling. The returning cast members embrace the style and throw themselves into the storytelling and comic business with gusto.

Michael Aylotis returns as the comic, Pickle (this year), bouncing around the stage, and naturally engaging with the audience with his cheeky looks and combines well with another of the returning cast, Paul Toulson as Fairy and Nanny Moppins. Toulson is magnificent in ‘Fabulous, Baby’ and then with Aylotis and the other principals in a lively routine of ‘River Deep, Mountain High’. Also returning for his seventh South Hill pantomime as Watkins the butler is Kier Buist who directs the ensemble in the scene changes and pines after the Prince. Together, they generate plenty of laughs and sweep the audience along in the storytelling.

Josselyn Ryder makes a suitably glamorous and evil Villanelle with a strong stage presence although, at times, is outshone by her charming sidekick, Grouch the Dragon, a wonderful puppet operated and voiced by Caitlin Tyla whom we see grow in size as time passes. They provide both a good sense of jeopardy and a fresh take on the wicked witch. The dragon also gives Maisie Scarlett, in her professional debut, as Princess Briar Rose (and her own mother), the chance to show a gentle serene innocence that wins over the dragon and seems destined to win over the heart of the Posh Prince (Charlie Nobel), which is her father’s King Archibald’s wish (Nick Murphy).

The opening Baby and closing Disco medley’s top and tail the show well and in between, we see a water fountain slosh scene, a balloon ballet, a Ghost sketch and the “if I were not” routine, each competently executed but don’t quite reach the technical precision and comic brilliance of other versions that can be seen this year.

Once again at this venue, the Junior Ensemble play a central role in the storytelling and do so with great charm and well-rehearsed skill, whether as three charming young fairies at the christening, or Palace staff and Witch’s acolytes moving the setting around, or even Dragon puppeteers as they are integrated seamlessly into the action. They also deliver Abi Logan’s excellent choreography with precision and elegance and support the principals wonderfully.

South Hill Park has once again delivered a very strong show with attractive sets and costumes, good musical choices, an excellent junior ensemble and an energetic cast of principals who engage the audience well and never let up in their efforts . What’s more, the matinee audience adored the show, and you leave the venue wondering how they change it for the adults-only evening performances!

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Nick Wayne

Sleeping Beauty plays at South Hill Park Arts Centre until 31 December, with further information here.