Pantomime season is here and PODS have put together another hilarious hit!

I was lucky enough to be invited to come and review PODS latest production of Sleeping Beauty and the Kingdom of Dreams at the Paget Rooms for their opening night and once again they have exceeded expectations. 

This weird and wonderful story follows the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty with lots of magical twists and turns, and appearances from other beloved fairy tales. This story might be a little different to the tale you’re used to but it was such fun to watch. With classic pantomime characters adding their usual touch-in-cheek humour, leaving both the children and adults in hysterics. 

It was great to see such infectious energy, not just on stage but from the audience as well. This show and its actors were incredible at engaging with the audience, while still keeping in touch with the storyline. 

When I first saw the length of the cast list, I was unsure of how this was going to look on stage. I expected it to appear cramped and would take away from production value but my hat goes off to the writer and director, Andy Bradshaw, who, along with his Creative team, managed to create something truly special and used each member of the cast to only enhance the performance. Each brought an incredible energy to the stage, and having so many of them only made it better. 

This years panto cast was something special. Lucy Clevett as Queen Elora, Robert Jenkins as King Peledor, Alex Wilson as Nanny Poppins, Tom Wilde as Jaxon and Beck McVicar as Princess Rose, gave a wonderful performance and showed off some truly incredible costumes. And I was delightfully surprised by Tom Wilde’s voice with his powerful rendition of ‘Proud Of Your Boy’.

Sally Bevan and Emma Dennett were a diverting duo as court jesters Jingles and Jangles. 

Lauren Farnham as Fairy Lilac, Rebecca Miles as Fairy Blush, and Sally Mathias as Fairy Beige were a brilliant addition to the cast with their harmonious hilarity. 

As well as, Jim Lediard as Master Wormwood, Peter Knowles as the uproariously eccentric Prince Schworzkopf, Emma Turner as Dreamweaver, Sue Owen as Queen Aurora, Lauren Jenkins as Cinderella, Chloe Welsh as Snow White, Ceri Wheatley as Belle and the rest of the ensemble. 

But a special mention has to go to Penni Carr as Morgana and Charlotte Charles as Cawdor, Morgana’s pet crow. These two, for me, stole the show! Their performance was brilliant from start to finish. Charlotte Charle’s physical comedy was unmatched and the energy she brought to the stage made her incredible to watch. And Penni Carr, who I had the pleasure of watching in Steel Magnolias a few months back, embodied her character perfectly and showed off a new depth of her talents.

Sleeping Beauty and the Kingdom of Dreams will be at the Paget Rooms until the 8th December and it’s a PODS performance you can’t miss. The upbeat show we all need, with incredible scoring, sensational costumes and sets and cheeky humour that will leave you laughing even after the curtain falls. But it’s selling out fast, so get your tickets now!

You can find out more about what’s going on with Penarth Operatics and Dramatic Society on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

All photo credits to Sian Owen