Pantomime Review: Sleeping Beauty at the Cork Opera House

It’s been a bumper year for pop hits, which Sleeping Beauty uses to full effect in a hugely enjoyable production that will entertain all three generations that usually make up panto audiences.

Nana mightn’t know the words to all the songs, but by the time the sing-along comes around at the end, you can be guaranteed she’ll be on her feet with the rest of the family, strutting her best Taylor Swift for ‘Shake it Off’.

A little bit of One Direction? You got it. ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams? Yes. And Frozen? Of course. Loads and loads of Frozen.

In fact, the teenage boy sitting next to our group was like a highly entertaining extra for his anguished reactions to the opening bars of each song from the Disney smash. Sighs of “Oh no!” and “F-F-S!” were a hilarious contrast to the squeals of glee from the little girls.

As well as a superb selection of songs and plenty of laughs, we also got fine performances from the leads, and impressive back-up from the chorus, complete with an energetic roller-skating sequence. Boogie Wonderland, indeed.

As ever, the standout role was that of the Dame, with Frank Mackey, pictured, in his ninth year at the Opera House, stealing the show as Nanny Nellie. Mackey bases the character on a combination of Mrs Doyle, Dame Edna and his old aunt from Kerry. His catchphrase, “Ya dirty-lookin eejit!”, is the one the kids will be repeating on the way home after the panto finishes (soon after 10pm for the evening shows; tickets cost €80-€100 for a family of four).

Mackey is co-writer with Trevor Ryan, and gets many of the best lines (“I still remember my husband’s last words — ‘What are you doing there with that hammer?’). Topical references included everything from Twink to water protests and loom bands, and there’s also a poke at Traveller weddings.

The Mackey-Ryan writing partnership was a new departure for the Opera House, due to the untimely death earlier this year of the venue’s panto stalwart, Bryan Flynn. All involved here have created a fitting tribute that carries on the legacy of their late colleague.

4/5

Show runs until Jan 17