Panto fairytale just delightful - oh yes it was!
RELAXED PERFORMANCE FOR AUTISTIC TEEN HIT RIGHT NOTE
THE Christmas season is more about pantomimes than presents according to my 15-year-old daughter Poppy, who has a diagnosis of autism.
So, when she found out she would be going to the relaxed performance of Sleeping Beauty at De Montfort Hall after Christmas – Covid willing – it gave her something to look forward to after the big day.
There’s a lot more for venues to consider now in terms of safety, and so we were pleased to note that the management of the whole performance felt very safe.
We had our Covid pass checks before we entered the building, and bag checks were straightforward on entering.
We picked up our tickets from the box office with no queuing, and although the venue was busy, the staff did an excellent job navigating people around the building so as not to cause any disruption.
On our way up to our seats, we spotted a sensory toy table where Poppy was given the opportunity to choose a complimentary sensory toy, which really helped keep her occupied during the performance.
We made our way upstairs and were quickly served at the kiosk before taking our seats.
The whole atmosphere in the venue felt very relaxed as staff showed us to our seats. I was also pleased to note that the lights stayed on dim throughout the performance.
The show was easy to follow, and my daughter joined in at appropriate times, especially booing the Wicked Fairy Godmother Carabosse, excellently characterised by Wendi Peters.
She loved all the characters, but her favourites were Fairy Phoenix, played by Maddie Moate, and Jarred the Jester, played by Jarred Christmas. She enjoyed shouting out every time they came on to the stage.
The volume was just right, and the music had Poppy dancing in her seat to every tune. She was desperate to stand up and dance and didn’t need any encouragement when the audience was asked to do just that in the second half.
Poppy’s favourites were the old classics, such as the ghost scene, and she loved joining in with the audience shouting “behind you!”.
The storyline was well told and easy to follow for all ages.
Matthew Pomeroy and Natasha Lamb were just perfect as Prince Pablo and Princess Rosa.
The scenery was wonderful and the lighting incredible. We especially liked the disco ball effect which lit up the ceiling. The magic tricks were excellent and really made the show stand out.
This pantomime has everything – fun, jokes, magic, brilliant songs and great dance routines. Well done to all involved. A great show in a truly relaxed environment.
Sleeping Beauty finishes its run at De Montfort Hall today, with performances at 1pm and 5pm. At the time of writing, there were a few tickets remaining, priced £15.75 to £21.