Gareth in Sleeping Beauty Liverpool, 29/5/21 - 5/6/21

[ValR]

Thanks Eternal, I thought it was a really nice interview too, Gareth is very happy to be back working, understandably! 

[eternal]

There are some good shots on the instagram of @shone_ltd  

and some footage of Gareth singing from a kind lady who has shared it on her Instagram   Thanks to @jhennaratcliffe  

[mariaw81]

Thank you so much for posting Eternalsuch lovely photos and video. Thanks to the kind lady for sharing these.

[dorral]

[dorral]

[eternal]

It does look good doesn't it?

There are a couple of reviews in:

Writebase on Twitter

This is what Mark Armstrong had to say:

Sleeping Beauty Review – Auditorium At M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

Show: Sleeping Beauty
Location: Auditorium At M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Dates: Saturday May 29-Saturday June 5 2021
Times: 13.00, 15.00, 17.00 & 19.00
Running Time: 135 Minutes
Age Rating: 3+
Performers: Gareth Gates, Emma Grace Arends & Bippo
Production Company: Shone Productions

This is our theatre review for Sleeping Beauty, putting smiles on all our faces, at Auditorium At M&S Bank Arena. And with a strong cast, this pantomime would offer up a real treat for those in attendance. Furthermore, despite social distance measures requiring a smaller crowd than usual, the team’s performance would allow attendees to simply enjoy themselves. And this would make for a fun evening out, a panto that would offer plenty of laughs. So, let’s see what we think of Sleeping Beauty!

Sleeping Beauty

Synopsis

The tale of Sleeping Beauty is timeless; fitting when considering the role that the passage of time plays here. So, the Fairy Godmother introduces us to Princess Beauty, the future monarch in years to come. However, the evil Carabosse overshadows her birth by planting the baby with a curse. And this curse means that, up until she turns 21, a prick of her finger could essentially kill her. Then, we fast-forward to the day before Beauty’s 21st birthday, with Emma Grace Arends playing the now-adult Princess. And we enjoy the frolics of Bippo and Queen Fanny Of Fazakerley in preparation for the big day. Not to mention the arrival of the Prince Of Pop (Gareth Gates), whose appearance would elicit a strong cheer. Almost immediately, the Prince and Princess fall in love, all in time for her major celebration.

However, there is trouble ahead. Because Carabosse remains on the warpath, and she almost succeeds in capturing the Prince. Still, he valiantly escapes just in time to help Beauty enjoy her milestone birthday. But wait: Carabosse isn’t done yet, and she manipulates Beauty into falling for her dastardly plan. And her family and friends cannot believe that the curse would come to fruition. But fortunately, the Fairy Godmother is on hand to inform us that Beauty isn’t dead, but she shall wake in 100 years. And her pals can join her in the future to break her from this trance. However, Carabosse has further tricks up her sleeve, not to mention other challenges that face our heroes. So, will Beauty ever wake up, and if so, what will her future with the Prince entail?

I wasn’t alone in feeling positive about finally attending another live theatre show. And though we have to wait a little longer for full audiences again, this production was more than acceptable. Indeed, there was a feel-good atmosphere in the air, one which suggests that this panto is a taste of things to come. Also, a panto is jolly at the best of times, so it was an ideal show to check out.

Analysis

Now, the story of Sleeping Beauty is easy to understand, and in between the plot developments come the big song and dance routines. And with Gareth Gates and Emma Grace Arends on hand, the standard reaches another level. Amongst the musical highlights were It’s A Brand New Day, Don’t Stop Believing and a reworked version of Can’t Take My Eyes Off You. Not to mention the juggling skills of Bippo during Beauty’s party, which were a preview of Bippo’s own show on June 12.

Speaking of Bippo, his interactions with the Queen would carry the show in terms of slapstick comedy. Now, anyone with experience of watching a panto knows to expect all sorts of daft confusion and cheeky double entendres. And we got plenty of those here, from amusing one-liners to a mock version of The Chase involving rude answers. Additionally, Bippo would have fun getting the audience to participate with the help of a video camera panning across the Auditorium. But it’s the moments that go wrong that generally become most memorable. And one instance with Gareth coming onto the stage prematurely would have Bippo and the Queen in stitches. On that note, it was great to see the cast genuinely having fun in their first performance for so long.

I also have to talk about the production. Firstly, the costumes were very authentic, with real effort going to making the stars stand out. Secondly, the sets themselves were impressive, nicely evoking the notion of being in the castle and the woods. But more notable to me was the exceptional use of lighting which would elevate the show as a whole. Indeed, there were flashy colours to wow the younger attendees, and fluorescent effects to impress the adults on hand. And best of all is one scene that would make use of a hologram in an eye-catching fashion. Oh, and certain scary creatures would appear in life-size form. Now, I won’t spoil them here, but look out for them when you come to the show!

Summary

In numerous ways, Sleeping Beauty is the ideal show as we await the further loosening of restrictions. Indeed, the crew would make the most of what they could do while still performing to a very high standard. It must be a challenge to deliver a panto where audiences can’t sing along or sit alongside one another. And yet the team here would present a show that would make anyone feel like it was old times again. And of course it was helpful that the show delivered lots of laughs from start to finish. So, as a half-term treat, Sleeping Beauty gets a strong recommendation from me, and best of all: theatre is back!

[eternal]

5**** from Pantomine News On Twitter

and this is lovely from Aaron Barker on Twitter

This is what he had to say:

1) I have been going to see pantos for 20 years. I've been acting for 16 years, in that time I've developed a real passion for panto. That without doubt was one of the best I've seen in recent years!

Thanks Aaron this is lovely to read.