REVIEW: Standing ovations for Littleport Players Christmas pantomime Sleeping Beauty

When The Littleport Players performed their Christmas panto ‘Sleeping Beauty’ there were standing ovations at the grand finale on every night of its five-show run.

Held in the main hall of Littleport & East Cambs Academy the curtain finally came down last Sunday and afterwards, Littleport Players' actor and choreographer, Becky Green, said how delighted the company were with the audiences' reception of the show and the great participation and feedback from the Littleport community.

"The 89 of us which was made up of the beavers, cubs, scouts, leaders and parent helpers all had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed it. The whole group were still talking about the show afterwards and how good it was," said beaver and scout leader Julie Double after Friday's performance.

The entire cast and crew of The Littleport Players displayed talent that would not be out of place at a West End theatre production.

They produced a non-stop all dancing and singing fun pantomime that had the spectators jeering and cheering the main characters like the Bad Witch Hazel played so convincingly and spine-chillingly by Mandy Morrish, to nurse Hettie Harpic played by Melanie Abraham who was quite superb.

Then we had Good Fairy Lilac played by Erin Malkin who is proving to be a pretty good actor to Megan Bidecant who is forever consistently brilliant playing Muddles.

Then we enjoyed the terrible twosome Becky Green and Chelsea Booth alias Carrie and Fetch the fun loving Scottish postpersons who kept everyone highly entertained.

Jack Barry as King Cactus has a pretty cool singing voice, and so too Queen Marigold played by Claire Lees. Hannah Ridley as Princess Rose was excellent, while the skilful acting of Adam Hebbard portrayed a believable Prince Alexis and Bethan Stanton-Gooch as Princess Rose playing opposite him made the part her own.

Jack Wright as a significant part of the villagers and courtiers is another actor who pulls out all the stops and always produces an impressive and outstanding performance.

The rest of the acting crew which consisted mainly of aspiring and inspirational young actors including young Millie Evans, Hannah and Elizabeth Chudleigh, Lucy Peckham, Alyx Malkin, Esmae Askew, Amber Page, Dennyson Double-Williams Charlotte Robinson, Jess Gillett-Woodley, Ashlie-Skye Wood and Charlie East played their parts really well.

Director Karen Booth worked tirelessly throughout putting this show together along with the outstanding choreographers Nikki Dyer-Scott and Becky Green.

The show would not be complete without the excellent musical directorship of Mark A.J.Checkley who played some intricate stuff on the keyboards and was superbly accompanied by his regular musicians, bassist Peter Theobald and drummer Colin Braysher.

The sound and lighting crew were Chris and James Rose and Jonny Jarvis, while their award-winning costume designer Sheila Goodall who has been designing outfits for The Littleport Players for 13 years produced some stunning costumes.

The Littleport Players will be performing a slightly shorter version of 'Sleeping Beauty' at the Ex-Servicemen's Club on Saturday January 4 at 4pm which should not be missed.