Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until 4th January 2026
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
After a year of closure, walking back into the Cambridge Arts Theatre felt like coming home. The new seats! The buzz of excited chatter, and that special anticipation before the curtain rises – we’ve missed it all so much! Last night’s performance of Sleeping Beauty was the perfect way to celebrate the theatre’s reopening, delivering exactly the kind of magical pantomime experience we’ve all been waiting for and have come to expect at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
From the moment the curtain rose, it was clear that director Michael Gattrell and set designer Ian Westbrook had crafted something truly special. The scenery was absolutely stunning – rich jewel colours that sparkled under the stage lights, creating a fairy-tale world that felt both traditional and fresh. And a dragon! It’s these touches that make pantomime such a wonderfully immersive experience.
The costumes, as always during pantomime season deserve special mention. They were consistently gorgeous throughout, but Nanny Nutkin’s outfits were particularly spectacular – each entrance brought something more fabulous than the last! Sarah Stammler and her team should be very proud.
Chris Jarvis has written a script packed with jokes – and I mean packed. I’m genuinely not sure whether he should be proud or slightly ashamed of just how many puns, one-liners, and groan-worthy gags he managed to squeeze in! There was Happy Harry’s clever ditty about Cambridgeshire and the song about “a Prince called Ken” was brilliantly silly. As always, there were plenty of topical references and local in-jokes that had us all nodding and laughing in recognition.
The cast was uniformly excellent. Matt Crosby was back as Nanny Nutkins – need I say more. Every year he returns to the stage and he’s just as fresh and energetic as ever. Steven Roberts brought real charm to Happy Harry, and the kids in the audience obviously loved him. Joseph Hewlett as handsome Prince Ken was not only an excellent performer but also had a great voice.
The ensemble were the true unsung heroes of the evening. Their snappy dance moves and singing added so much energy and polish to every scene. It’s easy to focus on the leads, but these talented performers kept the whole show moving with style and precision. This was pantomime at its very best – funny, beautiful, perfectly pitched for all ages, and performed with genuine heart. Welcome back, Cambridge Arts Theatre. We’ve missed you!