Miracle Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty debuted at St Ives at the weekend to rapturous applause with audiences singing, dancing, and laughing along to this quirky take on a classic tale.
The wedding from Sleeping Beauty. Left to right: Ben Kernow, Charlotte Bister, Holly Cassidy, and Katy Owen. Photographs: Kirstin Prisk
It may have been three years since a Miracle Theatre Christmas performance, but audiences were not disappointed. Comments included:
- “One of the best performances I have ever seen! We didn’t stop laughing all night.”
- “We were so excited, and the show didn’t disappoint. Our daughter caught the bouquet and we couldn’t stop her dancing by the end!”
- “The best version of Sleeping Beauty I’ve ever seen.”
Theatre critic Sheila Vanloo said: “Colourful, musical, funny, and unpredictable, Sleeping Beauty is a wild romp for the whole family with a top cast of familiar faces, stunning costumes, and a clever movable feast of sets and props… We all need some fun in our lives, and Sleeping Beauty is joyous. Don’t miss this superb Christmas show!”
Ben Dyson as Maurice
After its St Ives run, Sleeping Beauty opens at Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, on Thursday (15th December) with matinees and evening performances until New Year’s Eve.
Audiences will follow the adventures of an inquisitive princess, and the goblin, fairy, and piskie hiding in her attic. As she nears her 18th birthday, how will she avoid the spiteful spell set to put her to sleep for 100 years?
“Miracle is proud of its tradition of producing alternative pantos that appeal to all ages in equal measure!” said show writer and co-director, Bill Scott.
The Yellowjackets in song and dance mood. Left to right: Ben Kernow, Ben Dyson, Charlotte Bister, and Katy Owen
“This Christmas, we will be turning the clocks back to 1959 and inviting audiences for an outing to the famous Cornwall Riviera Holiday Camp, where among other marvellous entertainment, they will be offered a magical, musical retelling of Sleeping Beauty.
“This production follows Miracle’s popular ‘show-within-a show’ format, ensuring the audience has twice as much fun. While they enjoy an original and hilarious rendition of the classic fairy tale, they can watch actors from a bygone era coping with backstage hitches and personality clashes, while trying to keep the show going, often against impossible odds!”
The Sleeping Beauty cast features Miracle regulars Ben Dyson, Holly Cassidy, and Ben Kernow, who are joined by Charlotte Bister (Owdyado Theatre) and Katy Owen (Shakespeare’s Globe, Cyrano, Wise Children, Kneehigh).
Fairies Winterbottom (Ben Kernow, left) and Titian )Charlotte Bister, right), with Maurice the Goblin (Ben Dyson)
Together, they form a high-energy ensemble that promise to provide magical musical mayhem this Christmas. This re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty has been written by Bill Scott and Tom Adams, and has been co-directed by Hannah Stephens and Bill Scott.
Following a collaboration between Feast Cornwall, Miracle Theatre, and LiveWest, tenants in the TR26 St Ives area postcode were offered 22 free family tickets for performances at St Ives Guildhall. Miracle Theatre were inundated with calls, with families expressing their gratitude at the opportunity to see the show.
Not wanting anyone to miss out on a memorable experience for the whole family, the organisations were able to expand their offer. In total, more than 200 adults and children were able to attend Miracle Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty for free, with support from these funders.
• For Falmouth bookings, visit the See Tickets website, call 01326 211222, or visit the Princess Pavilion box office, Monday-Friday, 10am-2pm.
