Craig Revel Horwood has revealed that his upcoming Christmas production of Sleeping Beauty at the Bristol Hippodrome features a rewritten narrative to remove the traditional non-consensual kiss, introducing an earlier meeting between the prince and princess instead.
The Bottom Line
- The traditional awakening kiss in Sleeping Beauty has been dropped because of concerns regarding consent.
- To fix the plot hole, the production introduces the characters earlier so they can meet, fall in love, and share a consensual kiss.
- The updates coincide with the October 8, 2026 release of Craig Revel Horwood’s book The Book of Panto via Faber & Faber and ahead of his run playing Carabosse starting December 4, 2026.
The Editorial Shift at the Bristol Hippodrome
The 61-year-old judge discussed the theatrical overhaul during an appearance at the Cheltenham Literature Festival alongside interviewer Julia Wheeler on October 15, 2026. He explained the narrative problem facing modern stagings of classic fairy tales. He stated that “Kissing people in their sleep leads to other things” and that “It’s against consent to kiss someone that is asleep.” To solve this, the production shows the couple meeting earlier, falling in love, and stealing a consensual kiss beforehand.
📸bbcwest “Craig Revel Horwood is now a certified Bristolian 😅 He's joining Joe Sims in this year's Bristol Hippodrome panto, Sleeping Beauty. So Joe's been teaching him some local phrases to help him get by while he's in the city. We think he did alright? 🤷🏻♂️”Sleeping… pic.twitter.com/0iWdncqqYX
At the Henley Literary Festival, Horwood noted that modernizing theatrical traditions helps build inclusive communities. He remarked, “We live in a woke world, darling and I’ve had to change with the times. We have they/them, he/she. I think it’s for the better, to be honest.” These adaptations extend beyond romantic narratives into character naming conventions and body-shaming tropes across the British panto circuit.
Updating Classic Characters and Retitling Productions
Pantomime productions associated with Horwood are shedding traditional descriptors that rely on appearance-based humor. The wicked stepmother’s traditional accomplices are no longer styled as “ugly sisters.” Horwood stated: “I have two accomplices, my ugly daughters. But they’re not allowed to be called ugly anymore because no one is ugly.” He added that fat-shaming jokes are prohibited, leaving the characters simply known as “the sisters,” which he described as “a bit weird.”
Additional alterations affect titles across the theatrical calendar. Productions of Snow White have trimmed titles to remove references to the seven dwarfs. Horwood pointed out that material from the 1970s and 1980s often relies on humor that no longer fits contemporary community standards.
Production Schedule and Upcoming Performances
| Production / Book | Key Dates | Venue / Publisher | Key Personnel |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Book of Panto | Published Oct 8, 2026 | Faber & Faber | Craig Revel Horwood |
| Sleeping Beauty | Dec 4, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | Bristol Hippodrome | Craig Revel Horwood (Carabosse), Andy Ford (Muddles), Naomi Pacquette (Aurora) |
| Snow White | Opens Dec 11 | Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent | Jonathan Wilkes (Muddles), Crossroads Pantomimes |
Horwood will play Carabosse for the first time when Sleeping Beauty runs at the Bristol Hippodrome from December 4, 2026, through January 3, 2027. He will star alongside Andy Ford returning as Muddles, Naomi Pacquette as Princess Aurora, and Tom Major as Prince Peter, with Jade Marvin as the Enchantress and BBC Radio Bristol presenter Joe Sims as Carabosse’s henchman. Meanwhile, some productions have shortened their titles, such as Snow White dropping part of its traditional name.
