The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 27

1N Edition Zone: Sent at 16:59 cYanmaGentaYellowb Friday 9 December 2022 The Guardian 27 Ashley Shaw in the title role and Andrew Monaghan (Leo) have genuine chemistry as fairytale lovers GUARDIAN Theatre review rights and a show for the season Dance review Enduring fun in fairytale with vampiric twist Chris Wiegand ewspaper hawkers or belong to a bygone age but the issues in this US musical about their 1899 strike are headlines. The struggle for unionisation, homelessness and child exploitation feature in the story, which was based on a 1992 fi lm starring Christian Bale. In the musical which reaches the UK 10 years after Broadway we fi nd Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, planning to increase profi ts by raising the price newsies pay for the papers they Lyndsey Winship leeping Beauty and vampires this unlikely pairing is the crux of Matthew production which premiered in 2012 The conceit makes sense: if Aurora is in an enchanted sleep for 100 years, how can her true love wait it out? A spot of immortality should do it. When evil Carabosse appears in black feather wings, gesticulating wildly with great booms of thunder crashing against music, it sets the tone. Bourne crams the show with his favourite things the fairytale twist, farce and comedy of manners, visual humour a puppet baby gets the biggest laughs) and Lez Brotherston extravagant designs.

cheering that Bourne gives Aurora (Ashley Shaw) a proper love story, rather than marrying the fi rst man who kisses her (without her consent). Shaw, a real starlet who glows with youthful spirit, has genuine chemistry with hunky gardener Leo (Andrew Monaghan) The obstacle to their happiness is son, Caradoc and Paris Fitzpatrick is excellently creepy in the role The three of them keep the story going on its surprising sell. The trim to earnings is neatly contemplated from his chair, but Cameron Blakely as Pulitzer is given little more than a panto villain to play. His adversary is Jack Kelly charismatically played by Michael Ahomka-Lindsay who leads an army of orphans This being a Disney musical, cute little Les (played last night by Oliver Gordon who says the darnedest things, but aside from his brother Davey (Ryan Kopel and amiable Crutchie (Matthew Duckett the newsboys are thinly drawn. An energetic ensemble charges in and out of the audience, swings on giant lightbulbs and covers a stage fl oor smudged with newsprint and dominated by New York fi re escapes and washing lines The director, Matt Cole, builds a Jerome Robbins -style choreography from clenched fi sts and delicate There is a handful of soaring anthems and strong solos by Moya Angela and as a rookie reporter who falls for Kelly.

The complexities may feel under-explored but as a primer on unionisation a refreshing proposition for younger audiences. And victory over corporate self- interest fi ts the season of goodwill. ntil 16 April Newsies Troubadour Wembley Park theatre, London Matthew Sleeping Beauty Sadlers Wells, London tangent while the choreography hurries around them, the orchestra (recorded, not live) romping through allegros. Strangely you really go to a Bourne show for the dancing more the complete eff ect. Still, there is a lot of choreography from the fairies who dance like a giddy gaggle of aunties, to the nightclub denizens in a Summers mash-up of red velvet and black leather.

All round njoyable drama with a capital D. ntil 15 January then touring until 29 April.