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Sleeping Beauty, this year’s annual pantomime at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, has received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike. This week The Offies (Off West End Theatre Awards) have announced that Sleeping Beauty has been nominated for a ‘Best Panto’ award. The Offies finalists will be announced in January 2023. Winners will be revealed at the award ceremony on 12 February 2023 at the Alexandra Palace Theatre. The annual awards known as The Offies launched in 2010 to celebrate the excellence, innovation and ingenuity of independent theatres across London, outside the West End. For more information about The Offies and for the full list of finalists, visit offies.london The Havering Daily and Southend Theatre Scene have both rated the show five stars saying it’s “a must watch… fit for any West End stage” and praised the cast for being “so versatile, and never for a moment put a foot wrong”. Also commending the production for being family orientated and awarding the show four stars, Sardines Magazine said it’s “a real family panto… with something for all ages”. London Theatre 1 gave the production four stars and placed it “firmly in the realm of family fun”.  In Your Area said it’s “Really fun and perfect for families”. Hornchurch Life rated it as "Another fantastic show, which will appeal to all ages". Polka Dot Pages glowing verdict on Sleeping Beauty is: “Between the cleverly considered (and beautiful!) set and lighting design, the engaging storytelling of the book and the fantastically crafted musical numbers, Sleeping Beauty is a chuckle-inducing, toe-tapping, sing-along spectacular.” Musical Theatre Musings concluded that “Everyone left having laughed throughout and this is exactly what panto season is all about.”  Audiences have been applauding the pantomime as well. "Took our daughters to their first panto today and it was utterly wonderful. What a multi-talented cast in a brilliantly written show with fantastic original songs. Top quality panto magic. Well done to all cast, crew and theatre staff."  "Please pass on my huge congrats, one of the best we’ve ever seen. Lighting was phenomenal. Loved the 80s gaming and Jedi touches, strobes were magic. Dame and Fairy especially awesome. Everyone round us equally engaged and adoring it!"   “5 stars! We went to see Sleeping Beauty. All the kids loved it. Very talented actors who can sing and play instructions as well. All very versatile. Well done to the cast. Had all the kids singing and shouting out. That’s how a panto should be." This fresh and funny Sleeping Beauty brings Panto bang up to date as the loveable but fumbling Fairy undoes an evil curse with a five-hundred-year sleep, taking us from Tudor times into the madcap future of 2057, where robots roam, and Princess Raury wakes up to a brave new world and an epic adventure! The supremely talented actor-musician cast are: Ben Barrow plays Proppa, Footloose (UK & International Tour); Anna Fordham plays Princess Raury, Sunshine On Leith (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Dominic Gee-Burch plays Super Nanny, Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ the Musical, (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Jerome Lincoln plays Romford Prince, Whistle Down The Wind (The Watermill); Marta Miranda plays Prim, The Diary of Anne Frank (Guildford School of Acting); Laura Sillett plays Fairy Falalalalalalalala, Dreamboats and Petticoats (UK No.1 Tour), Alex Tomkins plays King ‘Enry, School of Rock (West End), and Hannah Woodward plays Vampira, The Wizard of Oz, (Hartlepool Borough Hall). Sleeping Beauty is written by Andrew Pollard, directed by Caroline Leslie, with original music and lyrics by Tom Self, set and costume design by Dora Schweitzer, lighting design by Stephen Pemble, sound design by Leigh Davies and choreography by Lee Crowley. The Executive Producer is Mathew Russell. There are still some tickets remaining for this fun-packed festive offering, but they’re selling fast so book now. Sleeping Beauty plays until 31 December. Tickets are £23 - £34.50 plus 65p QNext fee. To book, call 01708 443333 or visit www.queens-theatre.co.uk .