Carabosse (Samantha Gray) and Dreadmore (Matthew Walker) bring the boos in Sleeping Beauty at the Tivoli. Image - Courtesy of Attic Theatre
Everybody loves a boo-able panto villain... but you ever wondered what made them a baddie in the first place?
Wonder no more thanks to Attic Theatre’s rather splendid Sleeping Beauty at the Tivoli Theatre that works in an origin story for the evil fairy Carabosse to get the action going.
And rather touching it is too, as a broken heart turns sweet and romantic young fairy Bossie into the cackling icon of all panto villains.
Samantha Gray works magic in the role as she wins the audience over with her tender romantic turn before changing before their very eyes into the horn-wearing wicked Carabosse.
She’s so likeable as Bossie, that you don’t actually like to boo her in the moments after the transformation. But you soon get over that as Samantha sinks her teeth into the part and plays the baddie to the hilt – almost stealing the show along the way with near perfect acting, superb comic timing and wonderful voice.
The fairy family of Sleeping Beauty at the Tivoli Theatre. Image - Courtesy of Attic Theatre.
It’s a nice twist on the traditional panto from the pen of writer and director Scott Jamieson who peppers the script with one-line zingers and a nice line in gentle innuendo that has the parents smiling and the little ones none the wiser. Deftly done.
Another little spin is the introduction of a narrator – Calum Runcie - who keeps the audience right as Sleeping Beauty zips along on a timeline of decades until Princess Aurora’s fateful date with the spindle.
Calum is a camp delight as the Narrator, earning some of the biggest laughs of the evening, and his chemistry with Nanny Norma – the always entertaining Steven Reid in his third outing as the Doric dame – is panto riffing at its finest.
The rest of the cast are a joy, too, especially Ross Robertson who brings real swagger and sparkle to the thigh-slapping Prince Elphinstone. His take on Fireball was a genuine showstopper.
Singing and dancing to the fore in Attic's panto, Sleeping Beauty. Image - Courtesy of Attic Theatre
In fact, this year’s Attic panto – beloved by so many people over the years – pulls out all the stops in the big song and dance numbers (shout out to Aberdeen Academy of Dance) with great tunes ranging from Abba to Madonna and even a touch of Agadoo.
At times there’s a party happening on stage and the audience were delighted to join in.
Upping their game even further, the company has thrown in a special effect dragon that had the bairns skirling as it swung over their heads.
Sleeping Beauty moves along at a fair pace, all of it deftly handled by the talented ensemble cast, who are so good you forget they all have day jobs and are on that stage for the sheer love of performing and entertaining.
Narrator Calum Runcie with Steven Reid as Dame Nanny Norma and Calum Ross as Chuckles. Image - Courtesy of Attic Theatre
It’s a knockabout, fun journey until the show reaches its very happy ending for everyone – even Carabosse via a touching ballad of I’ll Be There with her fairy siblings. Which was nice because we could all cheer her again.
But then the whole show deserved every cheer, clap and the spontaneous standing ovation it earned as the curtain came down. As pantos go, Attic’s is a beauty.
Sleeping Beauty is at the Tivoli Theatre until Sunday, December 22. You can find more information and tickets here.
Review by Scott Begbie
Standing ovation for Attic's Sleeping Beauty at the Tivoli. Image - Courtesy of Attic Theatre