Theatre review: Scouse Sleeping Beauty @ Royal Court

The audience become supporting members of the cast.

When you enter the theatre - decked by two marvellous trees - amid the sounds of Slade and Shakin Stevens in tinsel-coated anthemry - you immediately get stamped with seasonal stardust.

You are whisked away with the fairies (or this case ferries - I'll explain later) for a few hours of escapism from the even madder world outside where road works have turned a nightmare on Lime Street into the set of Bladerunner 2021.

The Scouse Sleep Beauty runs at the Royal Court Theatre until January 15, 2022. Picture: Jason Roberts

It's been two years since the Court's Snow White and for Executive Producer Kevin Fearon - wearing his other hat as 'writer' - it's back to normality.

Normality?

There's no such word in Court circulars.

The Scouse Sleeping Beauty is everything you would expect and more with lashings of utterly inappropriate content and council bashing as the cast of nine and Howard Gray's on stage ensemble featuring Emma Grace Arends give 100 per cent.

The script may have more black holes than the current bewildering Dr Who storyline, but that's the fun. We can fill in the gaps ourselves and delight at the ad-libbing that such structure allows.

The plot is set in the kingdom of Poundland who are having problems with an heir until baby Ora arrives and they decide she will become queen when she is eighteen.

The Scouse Sleep Beauty runs at the Royal Court Theatre until January 15, 2022. Picture: Jason Roberts

Alas, time to hit the boos when wicked witch Maleffluent demands power and casts a curse.

So our Beauty (Jamie Clarke) aided by three ferries: Iris; Snowdrop and Daffodil (see I told you it gets bizarre, oh yes it does) moves to a place called Liverpool in 2003 where she falls in love with a character called Scouse played with his usual easy-going charm by Michael Fletcher.

And that's all you need to know. I won't spoil any of the various surprises that are splattered and slap-sticked throughout.

Suffice to say it's an adult trip to the grotto (no kids, please) where famous Scousers are name-checked and their images back projected on screen.

There's a wide collection of diverse songs from AC/DC to Hot Chocolate, Coldplay and Spandau Ballet all delivered with the trademark enthusiasm from the multi-tasking cast.

The Scouse Sleep Beauty runs at the Royal Court Theatre until January 15, 2022. Picture: Jason Roberts

The actors, of course are more like old friends as they go all out for laughs with the usual self-effacing tomfoolery including some dubious puppetry.

The Ferries: (fairies) Iris (Emma Bispham); Snowdrop (Haley Sheen) and Daffodil (Keddy Sutton) are given plenty of freedom from director Stephen Fletcher who always gets the best out of his cast and crew.

Super stalwart Andrew Schofield shines as the sinister looking Crow - a character straight out of the Boris Karloff vaults. Marvel should sign him up now as a wonderful, flawed baddie.

Drew is on top form playing ukulele and saxophone into the bargain and enjoying banter and physical comedy with Court favourite Lindzi's Germain's 'don't mess with me' Maleffluent.

The Scouse Sleep Beauty runs at the Royal Court Theatre until January 15, 2022. Picture: Jason Roberts

Liam Tobin as the King provides a few impressions from John Bishop to Elvis while Jamie Clarke as Ora is in typically fine voice throughout.

The action over two and half hours (including interval) takes place on Olivia Du Monceau's colourful, revolving stage set which becomes a nightclub and fancy dress shop in the process.

From start to singalong finale The Scouse Sleeping Beauty is a panto-esque party.

Normality, said Kevin . . . he must be joking.

Happily - an anarchic, un-normal service has now resumed in the People's Theatre.

Your Scouse Passport to the Festive Season.

5 stars (four for the show and one for the audience).

Until January 15, 2022.

0151 709 4321

royalcourt.com