Review: Sleeping Beauty, Bristol Old Vic

The fact that a Tory MP has already condemned Sally Cookson’s interpretation of Sleeping Beauty as “political correctness gone mad” should tell you that this is a far from traditional interpretation of the familiar fairy story.

Yet whilst it’s true that here it’s a prince and not a princess who falls asleep, there is a great deal in this production that feels very traditional indeed, drawing on traditions from classic Grimm tales through to authentic British pantomime – blended with the contemporary style of theatre that we’ve come to expect from Cookson, whose past BOV shows include Peter Pan, Swallows and Amazons and Jane Eyre.

More than those other shows, Sleeping Beauty also draws on Cookson’s long association with Bristol’s child-oriented Travelling Light theatre company, making this production possibly more family-friendly than recent Old Vic Christmas shows. The comedy is broader, the style more cartoonish, the plot more accessible.

But, recalling the work of Bristol’s Aardman Animations, there is enough subtlety, pathos and one-liners to keep adults content too. There is also an echo of Aardman in the non-realistic staging, such as sheep represented by actors in woolly coats and bobble hats. Plenty is left to the imagination, with mime and puppets used in classic Travelling Light style.

The pantomime tradition is well served by an utterly hissable Wicked Fairy (although judging by the first night parents may need to brief their kids in advance about the apparently lost art of hissing), performed with gusto and dollops of feminine malevolence by Stu Goodwin, who thereby also delivers one of the finest pantomime dames this critic has ever seen.

The principal gender swap, however, is that the eponymous Sleeping Beauty is in fact Prince Percy (David Emmings – outstanding comic talent), swaddled in duvets to protect him from bad fairy Sylvia’s curse, yet doomed to sleep for 100 years nonetheless. Awakened by the kiss of life administered by questing orphan Deilen (Kezrena James – phenomenal mime skills), the two set off to continue Deilin’s search for “the leaves that do not grow”, only to find themselves ensnared in a Hansel and Gretel scenario with the vengeful Sylvia.

Being a Christmas show, it obviously all turns out well in the end – but there are some slightly bleak moments of what the BBFC likes to call “mild peril” along the way, together with some rollicking songs from composer Benji Bower (the blues rocking number Wrap Me Up in Cotton Wool is particularly memorable).

Sleeping Beauty is indeed a show for all the family. Superficially, it may appeal less to those seeking a ‘high theatre’ experience than previous BOV Christmas shows, but if you look through the kid-friendly top layer you can see a lot of world class theatre-making and references back to generations of theatrical and literary traditions bubbling just below the surface. And there are some very fine gags too.

Sleeping Beauty continues at Bristol Old Vic until Sunday, January 17. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.bristololdvic.org.uk/sleepingbeauty.html