Sleeping Trees have done it again – brought their trademark silliness and style to the second of their “living room pantos”, following last year’s The Legend of Moby Dick Whittington.
Presented in association with Splendid Productions, the Sleeping Trees gang (Joshua George Smith, John Woodburn and James Dunnell-Smith) take the themes of space travel and naughty siblings to develop the story of how Puss in Moon Boots saves Christmas from the copyright-free bad guy.
Including audience participation, a cameo from an unlikely rock star, and appearances from some of your favourite fairytale characters including Hansel and Gretel, our intrepid trio of writer-performers keep their blend of pun and fun moving quickly.
As usual, there is sharp editing (by Shaun Reynolds), comic brilliance, and in-jokes for adult viewers to enjoy alongside their little ones. I won’t spoil plot or jokes as they are definitely worth catching for yourself. Suffice to say Dancer lives up to his name and there’s a meeting with the cow who jumped over the moon.
You’ll definitely enjoy this well-produced film and might even be tempted to dust off your old Blue Peter skills to make your own props. Ben Hales (co-writer, sound, set and occasional cameo) and Kerry Frampton (director and set) add to the mayhem.
As a feline fan I’m delighted to see Santa’s cat getting a leading role, and really enjoyed the characters created by Sleeping Trees as they once again cause havoc, anarchy, and a nice old mess in the house.
You can catch this latest virtual production from “the love child of Monty Python and the League of Gentlemen” over the festive season: check https://www.thesleepingtrees.co.uk/home for tickets.
If you want to see the team’s work in person, you can book for their live pantomime Sleeping Beauty and the Beast, which I’ll be reviewing next week at Battersea Arts Centre.