[Ad-gifted] Well it is pantomime season and we at Yeah Lifestyle are about to parade through many of the pantos in our area.
We are starting with one of the first stops being at the Stafford Gatehouse, where we have been invited to attend the fun and fantastic Gala Night for their latest panto, Sleeping Beauty Pantomime with Mark Rhodes, one of the loveable duo from Sam & Mark (Sam Nixon) from CBBC, who last night played Hilarious Harry.
He is always great to see and has been a feature at a Gatehouse panto several times before and being a local from the West Midlands just a drop down from Stafford in Walsall, he fits right in!
What we thought of Sleeping Beauty
When we are asked to review a Gatehouse panto, it’s always a yes! We just love the atmosphere, as it’s always friendly and welcoming and especially festive when it’s Gala night.
We came into Stafford Gatehouse and were welcomed into the Gala event, where we had nibbles and drinks along with some magical music performed by a local choir, who were so talented. Then we went off to the show.
The pantomime was Sleeping Beauty and a classic telling. The story flowed like a typical panto, with plenty of crazy scenes that hilariously don’t fit into to any part of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, like ghosts and silly songs and plenty of costume changes including the Dame, Nurse Nora Knickerbocker who has about 35 costumes in total …apparently!
All the costumes on the night were amazing on all the characters, clearly so well made with lots of dazzle and sparkle!
Nurse Nora knocked her hair off by accident which got so many laughs – my three found this so funny! Plus the cast of characters were all laughing too. It’s filled with tongue and check and plenty of innuendos, which always fly over the kids heads but have the adults laughing in the background.
Mark Rhodes as Hilarious Harry was brilliant as always and David Phipps-Davies as the Dame was fantastic – what a voice! To be honest the quality of the singing was fantastic and it reminded me of the days of the Rock & Roll Pantos that the Gatehouse used to put on. Where the music always featured some great recognisable songs, and Sleeping Beauty Pantomime hit the spot on this too.
The show also featured a scary dragon that was huge and made the audience jump as it roared on stage!
It was just a fabulous show and well worth a trip to Stafford Gatehouse, where you’ll feel the magic of Christmas through their latest pantomime, Sleeping Beauty!
Cast Details
Hilarious Harry – Mark Rhodes
Nurse Nora Knickerbocker – David Phipps-Davis
Carabosse – Samantha Spragg
King Louis – Ian Billings
Princess Beauty – Soleil Quarless
King Rufus of Rugley – Finlay McKillop
Fairy Flutterby – Emily Vinnicombe
Queen Helga – Sophie Hirst
Ensemble/Understudy – Matilda Gaughan
Ensemble/Understudy – Alexander Harry
Ensemble/Understudy – Sophie Hirst
Ensemble/Understudy – Danny Prescott-Watts
Band
Musical Director/Keys – Clive
Bass – Eric Rupert
Drums – Aaron O’Sullivan
Creative team
Associate Producer – Jo Longworth
Director – Scott Le Crass
Choreographer – Verity Bray
Musical Director – Steve Clark
Musical Director – Clive Fishlock
Lighting Designer – Barry Smith
Sound Designer – Kate Harvey
Plus all the on-site stage crew
How much do the tickets cost?
Tickets are priced from £21 to £36 (concessions and group discount available).
How do I book tickets to watch Sleeping Beauty at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre?
Tickets can be booked by calling the box office on 01785 619080 or by visiting their website here. Please contact the Box Office for details.
How long is the show for and what are the timings?
The show will run until Sunday, 4 January 2026. The evening shows will run at either 5pm, 5.30pm, 6pm or 7pm while the matinee shows will be shown at 1pm, 2pm or 3pm.
Relaxed performance 11:00am Saturday 20th December 2025
British Sign Language performance 1:00pm Saturday 27th December 2025
Where is Stafford Gatehouse Theatre?
Stafford Gatehouse is an old Victorian theatre for professional and amateur shows, including Shakespeare and children’s plays. In 2007, the Borough Hall was reopened as Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, by his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. The Borough Hall was originally opened on 20 June 1877 and the building once housed Stafford Borough Council.
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Eastgate Street
Stafford
ST16 2LT
Tel: 01785 619080
Where to park?
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre is in the heart of Stafford, just seconds from the main shopping centre and central tourist attractions. It is less than 10 minutes drive from Junctions 13 and 14 of the M6 and can be found by following the theatre mask symbols on routes into the town centre. There are ample parking facilities a short walk away from the theatre and cycle racks are available outside the building. The nearest public parking is on North Walls ST163AD and a map of public car parks in Stafford can be found here. We recommend parking at the Civic Centre ST16 3AQ or the Waterfront Car Park ST16 2HQ.
About Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre offer a range of touring shows and in-house productions, covering big name acts and top touring companies to home-grown talent and our popular summer school shows. They also produce the prestigious annual Stafford Shakespeare production, which marked its 30th year in 2022 with ROMEO + JULIET in the grounds of Stafford Castle, drawing thousands of visitors from all over the UK and as far away as Australia.
In 2023, the prestigious production moved to the Gatehouse with the spectacular ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM’, which drew thousands of visitors into Stafford town centre and last year TWELFTH NIGHT: A Cornish Tale drew huge critical acclaim. In 2025, Stafford Shakespeare presents HAMLET, starring BENEDICT SHAW (The Syndicate, Boat Story BBC) from June 24 to July 5.
They have two performance spaces: the main auditorium, with a seating capacity of 535 and adaptable space of The MET Studio, which can seat up to 140 guests in a number of configurations. They also have the Writers’ Room, which is perfect for smaller meetings and presentations. It is also available for small exhibitions and semi-permanent displays – the perfect spot for a corporate meeting.
During the day, the theatre houses a smart coffee shop (Mon-Fri 10am-2pm) offering top quality drinks and snacks in a beautiful setting, complete with free upgraded Wi-Fi and USB charging points.  At night, the theatre’s bar is the perfect place for a pre-show drink or post-show chat – often with the stars of the production popping in. The theatre also houses Stafford’s Visitor Information Service, with a touch-screen information centre and helpful staff, where you can find information on regional and national events. Open: Monday to Saturday 9:30am – 5:00pm.
Review by : Lex Ward
You may want to read this:
Review: Stafford Gatehouse Theatre presents Jack and the Beanstalk
Review: Beauty and the Beast at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre*
Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Review: Peter Pan Pantomime at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Review of Dick Whittington the Rock ‘n’ roll panto at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood Panto at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Photo credit: Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
* We were provided with press tickets in exchange for a review. All opinions are our own.
14 comments
I do love a good panto and Sleeping Beauty is one of my favourites. This sounds like fun for all the family. I do need to see if I can find one near me
Hope you find a local theatre to you Samantha
Who doesn’t love the Sleeping Beauty story? It is one of my favorites, and watching it as a play would be such a wonderful experience. A must-see for sure.
Agree, a must see indeed and one which we certainly recommend
This looks like such a fun play! I love this classic fairy tale, AND the set and costumes look fantastic.
Stunning set, costume and cast. The perfect combo indeed
The pictures above are everything and the costumes alone make this a must see. Looks like a great show and wish I was closer to go and watch for myself 😉
Agree, stunning photos to show how much fun the show was, but nothing like seeing it in person
This looks like such a fun way to kick off panto season. The costumes alone are incredible, and it sounds like the Gala Night really set the tone for what’s to come. I love how you capture the atmosphere and excitement of the evening.
Thank you for much for your kind comments, we did have a fabulous time at the show
Love to see Sleeping Beauty panto. Sounds pretty interesting.
Hope you do get the chance to head to Stafford Gatehouse to see this live
It looks like the Dame in this show had fantastic dresses! Sounds like a great version of Sleeping Beauty.
35 in total! And very a superb version of Sleeping Beauty