Disaster strikes at Coventry panto opening night...

[dutchman]

It's opening night for Coventry's panto ... oh, no it isn't.



The princess did not find her prince and the baddies did not get their comeuppance as the press night for Sleeping Beauty at the Belgrade Theatre ended in disaster.

Many children were left in tears as technical difficulties forced theatre staff to cancel the performance and send the disappointed family audience home.

Maybe it was a curse from the wicked Fairy Carabosse, but the good Fairy Azuriel, Nurse Nanny Nora, Josh the Jester and the dashing Prince Valiant were helpless to undo the damage and ensure a happy ever after ending for the packed city theatre.

Telegraph reviewer Mark Radford said: "We were all seated in the theatre waiting for the curtain to go up, but it never happened.

"We were told at first there would be a 10-minute delay and then the panto dame came out with one of the panto cast and they sang the final song - three times.

"We were told the panto really was about to start, but it never happened.

"Everyone was very disappointed and some youngsters were crying.

"They had been so excited about seeing Sleeping Beauty, like my own family, but the curtain never went up. Panto dame, actor Iain Lauchlan, finally came out and apologised and we all just had to go home.

"I heard it was computer problems that caused all the trouble, but we must have been sitting there nearly 90 minutes before we were told the panto could not go ahead."

Ruth Saunders, of the Belgrade Theatre, said they regretted the opening press night performance of Sleeping Beauty had to be cancelled on Friday because of technical difficulties.

She said: "All patrons with tickets for this performance will receive a full refund and will be invited to attend an alternative performance. The theatre would like to stress that all other performances of Sleeping Beauty have not been affected and will be going ahead as usual."

Sleeping Beauty marks the return to the Belgrade panto of Iain Lauchlan.

He played the city's panto dame for 12 years through the 1980s and 1990s. He was last seen on the Belgrade stage in 2007 when he returned to play the dame in Aladdin to celebrate the reopening of the theatre after its s14 million redevelopment project.

Anyone who had tickets for the opening night should contact the box office on 024 7655 3055 for further information.

Sleeping Beauty runs at the Belgrade Theatre until January 5.