Written and Choreographed by Lacy Rain

Produced by Ellie Street

Tickets from £12.00

There’s only so much good-natured joy and family-friendly fun a person can take. Only so many smiling, bright-eyed wee ones cheering can scream before you start to see where Scrooge’s protestations of Humbuggery come from. It’s time for a happy ending of a different sort.

It’s the tale you (sort of) know, as Lacy Rain and the Queens and Kings of The Three Sisters turn the fabled Sleeping Beauty into something pumped full of energy, vibrancy, and attitude. There’s still a curse (or a blessing, depending on how you look at it), a wicked fairy, and good still seeks to conquer evil, but the pitstops along the way and the fairytale folk audiences encounter are far from the family-friendly cartoons many grew up with. Sleeping Booty is a pantomime for those still awake long after the kids have gone to bed, for those who still want the festive cheer with more than a nudge and wink, and aren’t that fussed about who’s behind you…

This time around Aurora is blessed with something far better than elegance or grace, as her fairy godmother bestows upon them a rear of immense scale and bounce. Enough to enchant a kingdom and draw the ire of the envious. But it also makes for a bigger target… all the easier to prick and cast an eternal sleep, and true love’s kiss might not even be enough to wake them from this slumber. Alicia Tryde catapults between fairytale princess and party girl, playing the young princess right from cradle to adolescence with terrific character and vocals. They throw themselves head-first into Rain’s choreography and provide their own vocals which smash together plenty of choice tunes to offer the production’s strongest assets, the lip-synchs and musical numbers, front and centre appeal.

Writer, choreographer, costume-maker, and occasion force of darkness Lacy Rain straps on the horns this evening as Malnourishment – a spin on the dark fairy who curses the young Aurora after they’re snubbed an invite to the christening. Understandable. Performed with all the might if Lorraine Kelly gave into the darker side of things, Rain’s is a performance that matches malevolence with humour in a razor-sharp way, delivered with brilliant comedic timing and characterisation. While their lackie, Princess Yaddick’s Goldie Prawn (prize for best name), brings some top-notch audience interaction, particularly with a few rowdier members who think they may be the stars of the show.

And while going in as dry as CJ Banks’ humour may not always be advisable, sometimes the results speak for themselves – and they’re fantastic if you’re willing to brace yourself. The initial delivery of fairy godmother Gwynethere Paltrow goes over the heads of some of the less attuned members of the audience, but once they catch on, well, what a marvellously vicious and clever manner Banks delivers Rain’s script. While much of the production is littered with crude humour, occasionally there’s a line which, when pitched just right from Banks, garners a fiercer laugh than any double-entendre or sex pun can compete with.

But don’t for a second thing thank filth won’t gain a laugh. You wouldn’t be here otherwise. Exceling in plunging audiences into the depths, Angel Beads’ Prince Phil-me may appear to be a Twink with a wardrobe budget, but their comedic expression and commitment to intensely physical gags make them an invaluable star of Sleeping Booty, and an audience favourite. Equally, though with a small role, Lavish McTavish’s King Dominic and side characters are all treated with the same relish as any of the principal cast, and just as downright dirty as the best of them. The entire cast does a pretty sterling job of utilising the performance space, even if its size is a touch limited and leads to a few awkward transitions between scenes. But often, these lead to even more laughs as the team tries to fill in the gaps or miss their cues and roll with the laughter.

Sleeping Booty hits more of the pantomime beats than some of the main theatre’s big-flashy productions. Audiences are encouraged to treat elements of the show no different than the tame counter-parts, to shout out and get involved (within reason), to shriek and boo and hiss with Malnourishment’s arrival and a ‘fill-in-the-blanks’ sing-along which leads to as much chaos and dirty humour as you’d expect a works night out to be able to conjure up. Filthy festive fun, Sleeping Booty offers a refreshing (and thrilling) alternative cabaret night out to the family-friendly panto. But it still is a pantomime with all the tropes and festive expectations, and more than enough tricks in the truck to whip out at any point. Leave the kids at home, this panto isn’t for them.

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