Lambert Puppet Theatre, Dublin
***
Pantomime meets puppetry in Sleeping Beauty, a bare-bones rendition of the traditional fairy tale, which finds more entertainment in its embellishments than in the original story.
There are, of course, princesses and fairies and ugly witches. There is a handsome prince: well, sort of. But the standout turns are the cameos from Harlequin, the palace jester; a random chorus of frogs; and a choir of mice that breed in the blink of an eye.
The painted sets are richly evocative of three-dimensional settings, while the puppets are well-worn staples from the Lambert repertoire, and this adds greatly to the charm. Mr Crow, of Wanderly Wagon fame, makes an appearance, acting as compere for the afternoon's entertainment. The invisible animators, meanwhile, manipulate the stick-and-string puppets with ease. There are only three puppeteers, however, which makes for a somewhat anti-climactic finale to the show.
The Lambert Puppet Theatre offers an almost merchandise-free experience, which makes a refreshing antidote to some of the more commercial children's entertainment on offer at Christmas. Make sure to pay a visit upstairs at the interval, where the Lamberts' large collection of fairy-tale puppets are on display. A lovely, old-fashioned day out. Until end of Jan
