'Sleeping Beauty' Birmingham Hippodrome

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 1/31/10 at 7:47pm

I managed to get to the final performance of a one the U.Ks longest running pantos today at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
'Sleeping Beauty' starred Joe Pasquale, Ray Quinn and Ceri Dupree.

Mr. Pasqule was born to keep the old school of panto alive and this he does brilliantly and he does it with a passion that reaches every age group.
Ceri Dupree took to the stage in the most spectacular (and occasionally traditional) costumes that I have ever seen on a stage. He certainly puts the likes of Danny La Rue in the shadows. Some costumes you can only assume were put on by a backstage team of around 20 stagehands! Amazing!
Dupree's sister, Ria Jones, was one of the very best villian's I can remember seeing in a panto and she stole every scene including flying again (i would have thought she would have had a 'no flying' clause in her contract after a year doing 'The Witches oF Eastwick')
Ray Quinn was a very passable prince but that is always a totally thankless part in any panto.
The supporting company were great and obviously riding on the many in jokes of the last performance of a 7 week run.
There are two amazing 3D sequences, one in each act, that really put 'Avatar' to shame. The first sequence in 3D had the castle being covered in ·d vines to protect the sleeeping princess. Truly spellbinding stuff.
As a new production having its premier in Birmingham the sets are spectacular as befits the most expensive panto Qudos have ever staged. Most of the budget went on the sets and costumes for Ceri Dupree!
All in all well worth a very fast trip up to Birmingham.

The Qudos production 'Sleeping Beauty' will be staged for the next five years before being retired.
2010/11 Theatre Royal, Plymouth
2011/12 Theatre Royal, Nottingham
2012/13 Opera House Manchester
2013/14 ?
2014/15 New Theatre Cardiff

Dupree will stay with the production for its 5 year run with Pasqaule playing Nottingham and Manchester







Updated On: 1/31/10 at 07:47 PM

[alterego]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 12:09am

Check out the rather dumpy looking black girl to the right in the second photo. She looks like she is having a whale of a time.

What was Christopher Biggins doing this year?

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 6:03am

What he does best!
http://www.whatsonsouthwest.co.uk/images/articles/cat2-img2.1248269216.pjpeg

Theatre Royal Plymouth, 'Aladdin'

[SoonerOrLater]

Posted: 2/1/10 at 11:28am

love a late season panto review Mama! Now how many weeks till the season starts again?

Glad the show is coming to Cardiff eventually-though who knows where I'll be living by then! Missed out on Dupree last year here. Excited to hear the 3D element is good, as tbh I've been sceptical about that!