‘Tis the season for pantomimes – however, audiences have seemingly been left disappointed by one, which stars acting icons Catherine Tate and Nigel Havers.
Showing at the London Palladium Theatre, Sleeping Beauty boasts a starry cast.
Joining Tate as Carabosse and Havers as Keeper of the Privy are Celebrity Big Brother winner Julian Clary as King Julian and America’s Got Talent champ Paul Zerdin as The Great Zerdini.
And while some are splashing out hundreds of pounds for tickets, reviews have been anything but glowing, with some audience members walking out due to the ‘crude jokes’.
The modern retelling of the classic fairytale is shown at family-friendly times of 2:30pm and 7:30pm at the theatre, but scathing feedback from punters has led to a warning of ‘parental discretion’ being added to the venue’s website due to the dicey nature of some gags.
Taking to TripAdvisor, comments called the show ‘disappointing’, even going as far as to blast the lead stars’ performances and label it a ‘smut fest’.
‘An adult show without children in mind. A grim, lazy tirade of innuendos,’ began KFaux, giving it just one star out of five. ‘I was ashamed that I had taken my young children.’
User 796jennys declared the outing a ‘waste of money’, while Paul G said it was an overall ‘terrible panto’.
‘Another dreadful “Panto” this year, or should I say weak variety show’, he wrote. ‘It’s embarrassing how much £££ is spent on so little story, talent and innuendo. Nothing clever about it anymore, and their attitude of “it doesn’t matter because the audience will be drunk” and “the no plot” gag, is just tedious and rather insulting to the thousands who save up all year, to attend.’
Nuala G added: ‘Sadly I didn’t realise this was an ‘adult style’ panto. My friend and I felt cheated out of a traditional panto, which we were really looking forward to. Unfortunately it was pretty much a “smut fest”. Very disappointing. Won’t be going again.’
‘Please don’t bring your children to this,’ they urged others.
Also among the reviews was that of Lia T, who similarly felt that Sleeping Beauty was ‘not appropriate for young children’, despite initially being ‘advertised as suitable for ages four and up’.
‘Some of the jokes relied on adult-themed references, which made my daughter uncomfortable, and we decided to leave early.’
Sally H echoed other reviewers, saying the panto has ‘lost its shine’ and even panto veteran Clary ‘seemed a shadow of his zany panto self’.
She went on to say the crowd seemed ‘notably more subdued than [she’s] ever witnessed’, even if the production did feature a ‘budget-busting set and gloriously ludicrous costumes’.
Betty31800 further called Tate’s role ‘very dull’ and said she’s debating whether to call time on her years-long family tradition of attending panto each festive season due to how lacklustre this one was.
Not all the feedback has been negative, though, as some have given it praise and admitted they didn’t mind the risqué scripts.
Sa1gon called the show ‘excellent’, while Kaorh said it was the ‘first panto [they’ve] ever liked’.
‘There are dozens of family-friendly pantos out there – but this is unique and all the better for it’, wrote MartinLondon59.
‘I do feel the blend of humour and story was pretty good and that is what makes panto special,’ penned CliffAndJo.
Irrespective of the mixed feedback, Sleeping Beauty has become the fastest-selling panto ever showcased at the Palladium.
This Christmas also marks the 10th anniversary of the West End show, with a synopsis on the theatre website hinting at innuendo-laden material from the off.
‘Whilst one small prick can be deadly, at The London Palladium you’re promised the happiest of endings,’ it reads, adding: ‘The London Palladium panto is an essential part of the capital’s Christmas.’
Reps for Catherine Tate and Nigel Havers have been contacted for comment. The London Palladium has also been contacted.
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