York Theatre Royal's "Sleeping Beauty" review finds that this year's festive panto has landed with a particularly brilliant gag, leaving cast and audience gasping for breath between laughs. Paul Hendy's production feels solidly bedded in, relying on the familiar formula of crowd-pleasing set pieces, daft comedy routines, and pun-packed jokes to delight repeat audiences.
The show's star, Robin Simpson as Nurse Nellie, shines with an unpredictable twinkle in his eye, riffing on genuine slip-ups that land well. The supporting cast delivers strong performances, including Tommy Carmichael as Jangles and Jennie Dale and Jocasta Almgill in a delightful double act as the good and bad fairies.
However, the distinctive local flavour of pantomime is slightly lost this year, with only easy cracks at Hull and Nigel Farage feeling particularly relevant. Despite this, the show remains reliably crowd-pleasing and family-friendly, with a string of set pieces to delight those who return year after year.
The secret ingredient in this year's production appears to be its ability to balance expected jokes with genuine surprises, keeping both cast and audience on their toes. With Robin Simpson at his best as the dame, it's no wonder this show is once again York's festive crowd-pleaser.
The show's star, Robin Simpson as Nurse Nellie, shines with an unpredictable twinkle in his eye, riffing on genuine slip-ups that land well. The supporting cast delivers strong performances, including Tommy Carmichael as Jangles and Jennie Dale and Jocasta Almgill in a delightful double act as the good and bad fairies.
However, the distinctive local flavour of pantomime is slightly lost this year, with only easy cracks at Hull and Nigel Farage feeling particularly relevant. Despite this, the show remains reliably crowd-pleasing and family-friendly, with a string of set pieces to delight those who return year after year.
The secret ingredient in this year's production appears to be its ability to balance expected jokes with genuine surprises, keeping both cast and audience on their toes. With Robin Simpson at his best as the dame, it's no wonder this show is once again York's festive crowd-pleaser.
. The reviewer says Paul Hendy's production feels solidly bedded in, but what does that even mean? Is it just a fancy way of saying it's old and familiar? I want to see some actual analysis or stats on how this year's show compares to previous ones. Easy cracks at Hull and Nigel Farage feel like shallow attempts at relevance - are they really trying to be edgy now? 
And what about the supporting cast? Is Robin Simpson's performance that special? Did he do any interviews to back up all these glowing claims? I need some more info before I can jump on the bandwagon 
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. The cast has definitely done a great job of delivering those perfect laughs without being too cheesy. But, can't help feeling that this year's show might've been a bit... safe? Like, it relies on the usual tricks to get people giggling, rather than trying something new and really pushing the boundaries 
. Still, if you're looking for a fun night out with the family, I'd say give it a try! 
... he's literally stealing the show! 
the supporting cast is amazing too 
. but yeah, i feel like some of the jokes felt a bit forced this year 
still though, it's panto at its finest 
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. What's weird though is that they didn't really try to put any more local spin into it this year...
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. The cast seems solid, though – Robin Simpson as Nurse Nellie is definitely on point 
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. I love that it still has that classic panto feel but with some fresh surprises too!