Sleeping Beauty - One Little Prick

Chock full of innuendo and overflowing with sauce, this camped-up version of Sleeping Beauty is not for the squeamish. It follows Beauty (Matthew Ferzdeni), a gorgeous-but-dim, hard-on prone prince in the closet, from inception through to birth (the first of several topless moments that thrilled Above the Stag's audience) when he is cursed by nasty EastEnders villain-esque fairy Carabosse (Samantha Ridings).

Luckily - or unluckily? - Scottish booze hound Fairy Glowstick (Mandy Dassa) is on hand to protect the prince from getting "pricked" (yes, this choice verb peppers the script like over seasoned scrambled eggs). But as we all know from the fairytale, that doesn't quite go to plan...

The real gem of the show is the magnificent dame, Lady Gargoyle (Matthew Baldwin), fake breast-heavingly hilarious whether seducing attractive vamp Prince Edward (who is really keen on her son Beauty) or delivering a blithe one-liner.

Sleeping Beauty is scandalous yet knowing with well-judged splashes of music (watch out for a top rendition of 'T-t-touch me') but at times a tad slow. An enthusiastic cast coped well with a brief interlude while an audience member was taken ill (he was alright, thankfully) adding extra oomph when we returned to our seats. But they need to get more into the madcap festive swing of it, and not be afraid to drag the audience along with them (pun intended).

- Vicky Ellis