A thigh-slapping hero, a pretty-in-pink princess and a wonderfully wicked baddie transformed into Theresa May - what more could Richmond’s panto-goers ask for?

This year’s instalment of Sleeping Beauty at the Richmond Theatre doesn’t fail to dazzle, from the impeccable scenic decor to the fantastic singing voices of the cast, the show promises to be a joyful family experience from the youngest members of the family to the oldest.

Dan Partridge, the show’s very own Prince Antonio, and Lauren Hood as Princess Beauty, wowed the audience with their singing prowess, both warbling contemporary pop songs with style alongside The Pianist and Educating Rita actress Maureen Lipman, who revels in the role of Carabosse, the wicked fairy.

Witty interjections about Richmond’s road map and the Lib Dem’s takeover in the byelection also paved the way for parents and grandparents in the audience to appreciate jokes other than your typical panto gag.

Lipman’s transformation at the end of the show as a leapord-print shoed Theresa May was a startling but a clever piece of well-timed humour to slide in at the end of the performance.

One highlight for the kids was an alternative Twelve Days of Christmas scene with Matt Rixon as the dolled up dame Nanny and Cbeebies’ Chris Jarvis as Chester– involving five loo rolls and water pistols that drenched gleeful audience members as they chimed along with the festive song.

But the support cast really do make the show, doubling up as schoolchildren, fairies and even coffee morning pensioners to dance jovially, with never fading facial expressions, alongside the main cast.

Overall, this classic fairytale jazzed up with a stellar cast is a must for any family this Christmas.

  • Tickets are from £12 and can be bought here. The show runs a matinee and evening performance every day (excluding Christmas Day) until January 8.