Sleeping Beauty

Devonshire Park

Eastbourne

4 stars

I HAVE been to see these masters of pantomime a few times and they never disappoint. Tucker and Martyn Knight are booked to come back as a great double act year after year and there's a good reason for that. Knight the classic pantomime dame is on his 18th year.

The pair seem genuinely to be having fun throughout and the fact you cannot always tell what is scripted and what is just them larking about says it all. Tucker took to the stage and asked us to all forget everything that had been going on and to enjoy ourselves and that is exactly what we did.

The storyline was basically the classic Sleeping Beauty tale but as a set of farcical scenes with those two and a great cast mucking about.

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We have former Eastenders star Carli Norris, who played Belinda Slater, as Carabosse the Maleficent-style baddie.

I thought Ashley Emerson as Prince Valiant was excellent and funny too, especially in exchanges with Norris.

There was a fantastic appearance from a huge dragon on stage which really entertained the children.

But for me it is that pair Tucker and Knight who get the plaudits again. My favourite was the comedy sketch with Tucker singing snippets of songs as answers to Knight's questions.

The singalong of Sweet Caroline at the end was the perfect choice to send us all home happy. It worked, we forgot the troubles of the world for a couple of hours.

Slleping Beauty runs until January 9.