The Stafford Gatehouse has a smash hit on its hands with this years wonderful panto Sleeping Beauty. It is a  sparkling, sentimental traditional panto that has wonderful performances, great one liners (some of them most definitely aimed at the adults in the audience) and an absolutely magical set. Add in one seriously impressive dragon and you have a pantomime that will, in the words of Nat King Cole, entertain kids from 1 – 92!

This is such an entertaining panto, and the story is cleverly told from the present, with an almost 18 year old Beauty kept protected in Stafford Castle. We are then transported back in time by Fairy Flutterby (Emily Vinnicombe in a warm and lovely performance) to tell the story about how evil Carabosse ( a very glamorous and vampish Samantha Spragge) placed a curse on the baby Beauty when she was mistakenly not invited to her christening. Carabosse’s curse must be carried out before Beauty’s birthday, and this is indeed the case when she visits the royal castle with the gift of a spinning wheel. Can Beauty be saved by true loves kiss before she is dammed to sleep forever?

The magic of this panto is in the perfect casting, we have a beautiful and talented Beauty in Soleil Quarles, and a very handsome Prince with super impressive vocals from Finlay McKillop (from the kingdom of Rugeley I’ll have you know!). We, of course, have Stafford’s returning dream team of CBBC’s Mark Rhodes as Harry the hapless Court Jester, as engaging and winning as ever, and David Phipps-Davies as thw outrageous Nurse Nora Knickerbocker. Phipps- Davis is surely one of the best pantomime dames on stage, and the combination of the most hilarious costumes and songs like Copacabana are what panto is made for. Panto veteran Ian Billings is also a joy, I just loved his bumbling, kindly King Louis.

The musical numbers are wonderfully performed by the talented ensemble, and there are plenty of opportunities for audience participation. The appearance of the truly impressive dragon is a fantastic, visual high point of a pantomime already filled with them.

Sleeping Beauty is funny, warm and supremely entertaining. Just what pantomime is all about.

SLEEPING BEAUTY PANTOMIME 2025/2026

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre until January 4th

Click here for ticket information.

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