Sleeping Beauty at the Unicorn Theatre

Set in Southwark in the shadow of the newly built Tower Bridge, Sleeping Beauty is born into a branch of the Russian royal family, who have fled the Bolsheviks. Fast forward a 100 years and nobility may be thin on the ground, but modern day princes can still be found in SE1.

Orla really enjoyed the production, sitting on the edge of her seat and describing it as “mysterious and magical”. Her mum had been looking forward to a bit of “it's behind you”, but was satisfied with some lovely cameo performances and a some good twists to the standard plot.

This production is advertised as being for children of six and over, and this is probably right. Gehane Strehler's portrayal of a girl on the eve of her 13th birthday was both lovely and recognisable, but the stand out performances came from Samantha Adams, playing Carabossethe bad fairy, and David Smith whose varied characters were notable for their humour and fun.

Sleeping Beauty is on until 24 January. The performance we saw was a sell-out, so be sure to book early.