QX Magazine

Sleeping Beauty – One Little Prick

We all know that the life of us gays can share many similarities with the world of a Christmas panto. I mean everything from the Wicked Queen that everyone hates, to the handsome Prince here to sweep you off your feet – well, once he’s finished sweeping his other ‘meets’ of his – even the endless comedy one-liners such as “he’s behind you” – oh er missus – and “oh, no you didn’t, oh yes I did… sleep with you ex-boyfriend”, all echo the world that we sometimes live in. One thing is for sure though, not every panto shares the same similarities with many being a lot more adult than others.

Sleeping Beauty – One Little Prick, at Above the Stage Theatre until January 2012, is a hilarious new pantomime featuring strong language, sexual innuendoes and adult humour. From the producers of the last year’s panto hit, Robin Hood – Queen of Thieves, this production is a twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty story which tells the tale of Beauty – in this show a hot toned and tanned man – and his pursuit for love… or a quick bang!

Directed by Paul Taylor-Mills and set in the London Borough of Stratford, this panto sees the handsome Beauty, played by Matthew Ferdenzi, being cursed by the Wicked Witch and fall into a one-hundred year slumber only to wake in present day Stratford amid the preparations for the Olympic Games. When he awakes, his own personal games begin; I mean who wants to settle down with some old dusty prince, when you are surrounded with the gorgeous buff boys of London town?

With oodles of sing-a-longs to get you in the festive mood and some fantastic performances from Matthew Baldwin, who plays the drag Dame Gargoyle, and Matthew Ferdenzi, this adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty classic has a whole lot of balls, adult language and humour by the bucket load. Sleeping Beauty is definitely is one for the adults.

• Above The Stage Theatre, 15 Bressenden Place, Westminster, SW1E 5DD.
Box office: 020 8932 4747.
wwwabovethestag.com

4/5