Review: Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal

Monday 8th December 2025 at York Theatre Royal

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Panto season is back, and it’s the timeless classic Sleeping Beauty at York Theatre Royal this year, directed by Juliet Forster. Paul Hendy’s take on the tale is typically not-so-classic, adding a good dose of local references and zingers alongside panto staples like the spooks dance, sing-along and shout-outs section, not to mention a fair few very current bops (Musical Director: Edwin Gray)- this dame is H-O-T-T-O-G-O don’tcha know!

And it’s another classic panto affair from the creative team behind this show, from grand set designs (Terry Parsons, Michelle Marden, Stuart Ralph), costume designs leaning happily towards fairytale lands (Costume designers Terry Parsons, Amy Chamberlain, Ella Haines) and of course the dame’s get-ups (Michael J Batchelor) offering a fair few outlandish visuals to add to the rich feast of puns and silliness in Hendy’s script. 

Our Princess Aurora (AKA the Beauty  of our tale) is Aoife Kenny and the casting proves perfect: Kenny is a smiling, warm presence throughout, but also gets to fight her own battles in a nod towards a more modern, less helpless-damsel take on the story (a sword-wielding Princess is a pretty fab revision). 

The update which has our villain brag about her vicious raptor however… only for the dino itself to prove a bit of a naff Halloween affair, is a bit less fab, it has to be said! It does however have some impressive build-up via fire-filled circus skills performed by Kris Madden as “Guardian of the Raptor”…

Robin Simpson returns as our beloved resident dame – this time Nurse Nellie. Simpson once more balances that winning deadpan wit with mischievous ad-libbing and a real relish for the fun of the festive season. Tommy Carmichael also returns, this time as Jangles – a worthy side-kick for our dame; an endlessly enthusiastic and wholesome hero hell-bent on saving our princess from the forces of evil…

Aurora is of course joined by a protective fairy, played by a delightfully twinkly Jennie Dale, the dashing love interest Prince Michael, played quite humbly and gently by Christian Mortimer, and countered beautifully by the swaggering, smirking but very fabulous Jocasta Almgill as the meanie curse-caster, Carabosse. And the ensemble are a happy bunch perfectly pitched for panto season, making light work of Hayley Del Harrison’s energised choreography and generally working very hard to keep energy and panto pomp high. It definitely fits the bill for fun, family-friendly festive entertainment!

Sleeping Beauty is at York Theatre Royal until January 4th 2026 – more information and tickets can be found here.