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On the banks of the Firth of Clyde, in the shadow of the Greenock shipyards, the Beacon Arts Centre has built a five-star production of panto perfection that fizzes with magical festive spirit.
Alan McHugh might be writing scripts for many of Scotland‘s biggest pantomimes, but that doesn’t take his attention off this wee gem on the Clyde.
McHugh throws the dated fairytales out of the window – this brash, bold and fresh pantomime is a razor-sharp comedy extravaganza that is fast-paced, hilariously funny and firmly rooted in the community it serves.
With plenty of tartan twists to this fairytale, Princess Aurora (Rachael Kendall Brown) is celebrating her 21st birthday – but her evil aunt Carabosse is intent on taking her crown.
In this fairytale, it’s Queen Morag (Rachel Flynn) – Princess Aurora’s late mother – who brings a real magical dimension to this story as her daughter’s spiritual guide for good. Flynn brings a beautiful emotional poignancy to this tale, and a belting vocal to boot.
Until her 21st birthday, this Princess has been hidden by her devilish nursemaid Dame Nellie MacDuff (Jimmy Chisholm) – never without a lozenge and a quick quip. Chisholm brings a genuine maternal warmth as Dame that keeps the bright flame of panto tradition alive in this tale.
Paired with Nellie’s daft son Muddles (Lee Samuel), the laughs just keep coming in a relentless series of gags and routines with something for kids and adults alike.
Glasgow’s own Rachael Kendall Brown made headlines before the curtain even rose, having only 24 hours to step into the shoes of this protagonist princess, but – to paraphrase another panto classic – she fits them just right.
Brown’s angelic voice is perfect for this panto princess, but McHugh’s protagonist doesn’t just prick her finger and fall asleep for two hours – this Sleeping Beauty is at the very heart of this fairytale.
She’s perfectly paired with the thigh-slapping Charlie West as Prince Angus of Cappielaw. This dashing Prince is perfectly pitched between the charming and the funny – this Prince doesn’t take himself too seriously.
There’s a lot of good in this panto – so it’s a hard task to bring the evil. Beacon favourites Jane McCarry and Mark Cox – they’re Still Game! – do a brilliant job of bringing in the boo’s. Cox, of course, isn’t really a baddie – and his confused Slimeball is a masterclass in understated performance.
All set within in the regal backdrops of Imagine Theatre, Sleeping Beauty marries the traditional with the modern in a delightful evening that can’t fail to delight even the most Scrooge-y of Scrooges.
Inverclyde is well-known for its manufacturing. At the Beacon, they’re keeping that spirit firmly alive.
Sleeping Beauty at Beacon Arts Centre, Greenock until Wednesday 31st December 2025
Photo credit: Christopher Bowen
