The Torch Theatre’s Christmas production this year is a real ‘beauty’ that will leave audiences spellbound with its visuals, performances, songs and laughter.

Written and directed by Peter Doran, Sleeping Beauty tells the traditional fairytale of evil witch Maleficent (Francesca Goodridge) attempting to put a curse on Princess Rose (Miriam O’Brien) that will see her put into a deep sleep for a very, very long time.

It is a time before emails and snapchat, and The King (Gareth Wyn Griffiths) and Fester the Jester (Sion Ifans) are busy preparing the Princess’s 18th birthday party, along with the help of Fanny the Nanny (Dion Davies).

Along the way, Rose’s Fairy Godmother (Cler Stephens) and a cast of fantastical impish puppets, try to thwart the evil witch, but the Princess’s fate ultimately lies in the hands of handsome Prince Roberto (Joseph Robinson), who goes under the radar as Tupper ‘the washer upper’ from the Welsh village nearby.

From the moment that Torch panto favourite Dion Davies as the vigorous Fanny enters the stage to the strains of rock legends Aerosmith and their classic anthem ‘Dude Looks Like a Lady’, the children in the audience (from Pembroke Dock and Crymych schools when I visited) certainly get into the spirit of the occasion.

Fanny admits that she was once thrown off an 18-30 holiday excursion, as she was told that being born in 1830 didn’t qualify her to join the trip, but she sure does show the crowd that she still likes to ‘move it, move it’ with the best of them!

The dreamlike sets designed by Sean Crowley, including haunting mystical woods and medieval castles, really do send the audience into fantasy realms, while the visual effects, especially during the second half of the show, take the enjoyment to another level.

A time-travelling song, which sees a fullsize tardis transported to the stage, and a battle between the prince and a fire-starting dragon straight from the World of Warcraft territory, are particular highlights.

A duet between the Prince and Princess shows wonderful chemistry between the actors, and sets up the emotion of a scene when the ‘super powerful and mean’ Maleficent tries to snare our panto heroine on a spinning wheel, even to the point where one child had to exit the theatre with a tear or two in their eyes, no doubt out into the foyer for a reassuring festive Cornetto!

As well as some modern topical jokes, there are also plenty of throwbacks to classic stage humour, including a Tommy Copper hat routine homage that didn’t fall on deaf ears with the young audience, and a name-dropping chocolate bar sketch, that rang a bell too.

A quick ‘songy-wongy’ to finish (one of many memorable and varied ditties from musical director James Williams) and the children were left clapping their way into their first taste of Christmas for 2016!

Sleeping Beauty runs from December 17 to 31 and can be booked at the Torch Theatre’s box office by contacting 01646 695267 or online at www.torchtheatre.co.uk

P.E.