Month: December 2018

Sheffield Crucible – until 12 January 2019

Reviewed by Lottie Davis-Browne

3***

Following the huge success of Annie Get Your Gun, Director Paul Foster returns to Sheffield with the 1948 classic Kiss Me Kate.

The musical was inspired by the on-stage/off-stage battling of husband-and-wife actors Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne during their 1953 production of Shrew, witnessed by future Broadway producer Arnold Saint-Subber. In 1947 he asked the Samuel and Bella Spewack (the book writers, who were undergoing their own marital woes at the time) to write the script; Bella Spewack then enlisted Cole Porter to write the music and lyrics.

The story opens with a theatre company rehearsing ahead of their opening night of a tour in Baltimore of their production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. The opening number – Another Op’nin’, Another Show introduces the audience to the full theatre company – from the wardrobe department to the lighting guys (who in my opinion have one of the most difficult roles in this production – working at such heights yet fully visible to the audience), the live band behind the theatre company’s stage set, as the company prepare for yet another touring production and all the fun and mayhem that comes with it.

The Company Director and Producer – the self obsessed  Fred Graham (Edward Baker-Duly) is also staring in the production as Petruchio alongside his movie-star ex-wife Lilli Vanessi, (Rebecca Lock) who is playing Katherine (Kate). The pair bicker constantly and Lilli is particularly ferocious, especially with Fred pursuing the younger actress Lois Lane (Amy Ellen Richardson). When there’s a mix-up sending some first night flowers to Lilli (from Fred) with the card being addressed to Lois, Lilli sees red and confronts Fred on stage. Meanwhile Lois’ boyfriend Bill (Dex Lee) has skipped rehearsals to go place a bet having had some recent luck with gambling, but when he loses money he signs a $10,000 debt in Fred’s name. (Why Can’t You Behave?)

It isn’t long until two gangsters (Delroy Atkinson and Joel Montague) appear in Fred’s dressing room demanding the $10,000 they claim he owes them. At first Fred insists there has been a misunderstanding but when Lilli threatens to leave the production before the end of the tour, he spots an opportunity to make her stay and it isn’t long until Lilli is threatened by the pair of crooks to stay and to ensure she continues with the show, the pair find themselves thrown into the unfamiliar world of show business. Cue barrels of laughter! I particularly loved Delroy Atkinsons’ performance for the comedy he brought to the production. His facial expressions when he found himself performing in the middle of a Shakespearean production were priceless.

Prior to this evenings performance I had very little knowledge on the musical, apart from being familiar with a couple of the bigger numbers (Another Op’nin’, Another Show It’s Too Darn Hot and Brush Up Your Shakespeare), however I waited for months in excitement to see it, having thoroughly adored Paul Foster’s last work with Sheffield Theatres – Annie Get Your Gun. After seeing Rebecca Lock in Heathers The Musical earlier this year, I was also keen to see her in something else. From the opening number it was clear to see that casting for this production had been done based on strong vocals. Locks flawless operatic vocals had the audience in a stunned silence – with each big number she sang resulting in deafening applause and cheers.

Her character is an aggressive, fierce and feisty one – which really comes through in her rendition of I Hate Men – during which at one point in the song Lock approached a man sat on the front row and with much laughter from the audience – directed the characters anger and utter hatred to the male species. Gosh I’m not even a man and I was scared stiff of her! Locks humour and wit continues as Katherine is forced to continue with the production whilst being held hostage by the two gangsters.

Whilst I find The Taming of The Shrew and anything remotely Shakespeare tedious, I enjoyed this production for the strong vocals from the lead characters and the sensational choreography (Matt Flint) – particularly in Too Darn Hot. My biggest bug bear however was the duration – at just under three hours long with a short interval, I felt the constant back and forth of the story – from on stage to off stage (Lilli to Kate, Fred to Petruchio etc) was somewhat nauseating, making me feel I was aboard the titanic with the constant choppiness of changing from one character to the next.

Whilst there were plenty of great elements to this production, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat deflated following all the hype leading up to it. If you’re a fan of older musicals then this one is certainly for you, however if like myself you tend to steer clear of the old time classics then maybe wait for Sheffield Theatre’s next season which boasts some of the best up-to-date musicals to come from the West End. From Kinky Boots to Avenue Q and a screen-to-stage adaptation of The Life of Pi, there’s still time to ask Santa for tickets to one of the upcoming productions scheduled for 2019.

York Theatre Royal – until Sat 5th Jan

Reviewed by Zoe Lawton

5*****

The Elves and the Shoemaker at York Theatre Royal is a truly magical and heartwarming experience for the Christmas period. Although the set itself is very basic, and the studio only small this only helped the audience fully engage into the story.  Clever use of props and lighting helped further in the story telling and bringing it all to life in the Shoemaker’s shop, through words, song, dance and music the story unfolds as we follow the Shoemaker and his wife on their quest to find out who has been helping them at night.

Thankfully the tale is traditional and as I remembered it myself as a child which was lovely as grandparents, parents and younger children were clearly enjoying the show in equal measures. The actors/puppeteers were extremely talented and clearly passionate engaging us in several sections of the story to all join in, and whilst operating the puppets making the younger audience genuinely believe the little puppets were real elves!

The performance is approximately an hour long which is just right for those with youngsters, I cannot recommend this show to families with younger children enough (or grandparent’s wanting an excuse to see it) you will not be disappointed.

St Helen’s Theatre Royal – until 13 January 2019

Reviewed by Carla Whittaker

5*****

Christmas is not Christmas without a panto! I was lucky enough to be able to fly to Neverland and get tickets to watch the J.M Barrie classic Peter Pan at St Helen’s Theatre Royal which is running until 13^th January 2019. It could be said that Peter Pan lacks the fairy tale magic often portrayed within other classic pantomimes; however, tonight this was not the case. Peter Pan flew into St Helen’s Theatre Royal with magic, sparkle and humour really keeping it within the pantomime territory! From when the curtain lifts and Wendy and the other darling children fly off to Neverland, the laughs, magic, sparkle and humour are non-stop with the talented actors  injecting modern, comedy moments into the straight scenes too. The production was lively with all the familiar elements of the Peter Pan story including The Lost Boys, Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, Tick Tocking crocodile and Nana the dog but also a reminder of the idiosyncratic  nature of the story of children desperately seeking a mum.

The show starred the finest local talent, Peter Pan captured the guilt free joy that panto is renowned for, and surrounded the audience with a warm, joyful atmosphere. The fantastic local Lewis Devine perfectly played Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up with his impressive dancing, acting and singing.  The talented Georgina Parkinson was fabulous as Wendy Darling with a very grounded portrayal of a young girl who turned into a mum. The popular Strictly Come Dancing Star Kristina Rihanoff  danced on to stage playing the part of Tinkerbell, with a sprinkle of fairy dust, and attitude as well as showcasing her amazing dancing skills which wowed the audience. But, it was the talented, local, versatile Louis Emerick who stole the show as the villainous Captain Hook who the audience loved to hate; with him providing scouse based humour, such as ‘go head’, ‘hear you go lad’, and reference to his days in Brookside and Coronation Street. The audience came alive with his outburst of ‘Mo Salah, Mo Salah, Mo Salah’ with an out roar of either booos or, cheers! The unlikely chemistry on stage between Simon Foster as Mrs Smee and Captain Hook was hilarious with buckets of both classic and modern comedy created a light hearted atmosphere and a ambience that only a Christmas panto can conjure!  There was a  perfect combination of both adult and children directed content making Peter Pan the perfect Christmas entertainment with plenty of opportunity for audience involvement from both adults and children made it purely magical, and perfect performance!

At the age of 32 I have been watching pantomimes annually since the age of about 5, and I have to say this was probably one of the most well directed, scripted and choreographed one I have seen. It was purely brilliant, with excellent sound effects, fantastic costumes, strobe lighting, fireworks and fire, as well as the brilliant 3D effects which really brought the panto to life!

The Lowry, Salford – until 2nd January 2019

Reviewed by Julie Noller

5***** 

This Christmas time Salford Quays are adorned with lights outside and warm gentle singalong show tunes inside The Lowry as Dr Dolittle and ensemble have arrived to brighten up your drab winter days. The book, music and indeed lyrics have been written by Leslie Bricusse but are based on the stories by Hugh Lofting not to mention the Twentieth Century Fox film of the same name staring Rex Harrison. It’s a throwback to that very same 1967 film, full on dancing even the odd Irish jig if you listen and watch closely enough and I doubt you’ll have any problems with that. I admit it’s been some years since I watched the Giant Pink Snail save the day, but if you allow it then the nostalgia will just wash over you like a snugly blanket. It’s the following morning and I’m still humming the opening song This is the world of Dr Dolittle. You may find yourself questioning some of the songs and some of the singing but honestly enjoy it, the original film contained some questionable singing itself, the actors were not known for their singing but that adds to the all round charm. I’m going to gush a little now, the puppets… oh my the puppets are simply brilliant in every way. We left the theatre discussing which was our favourite. The design, the choreography on it’s own leaves you speechless. The rawness of seeing the performer inside from the pushmi-pullyu to the simple head movements of Sophie the seal pulling at your heart strings. The Giant Pink Snail more than deserved a round of applause when it graced the stage, magnificent.

Mark Williams is delightful as the animal loving, human disliking Dr Dolittle. As a star of many a hit television show it’s hard to break free from the confines of a certain character and at times I expected to see him wielding an umbrella ala Father Brown, but a fully convincing Dr he was, Rex Harrison is such an iconic persona to follow but he’s now bound to history as Mark Williams brings our rather mirthless but lovable Dr up to date; even if our story is set in early Victorian days. Vicky Entwistle brings her unmistakable voice and shows a new talent for puppetry to the role of Polynesia the Parrot who aided our good Dr in his quest for knowledge and to be able to talk to the animals (try saying that without singing the line, it’s hard) . There’s Adele Anderson who brings a touch of pantomime villainy to her roles as Lady Bellowes and Poison Arrow seeking to control all animals in a parody of Talk to the Animals. Brian Capron who is very Richard Attenburghesque in his role of Albert Blossom circus owner especially during the musical number I’ve never seen anything like it and gave me the giggles in his role as Straight Arrow (straight to Harrow) a surprisingly well spoken and daper looking gentleman despite conversing by means of picture notes. Patrick Sullivan as Matthew Mugg, the Dr’s good friend, nice guy, warm and friendly the exact opposite of the man himself almost as if we’re looking at a photographic negative. An all round lovable rogue who proves he can hold a tune himself as well entertaining us with a spot of cleverly included Irish River-dancing. Mollie Melia Redgrave as Emma Fairfax has the extra wow factor her voice is amazing, my arms were prickled with goosebumps. A name I certainly will look out for in the future. You sense there may just be a budding romance between Emma and Matt, but equally Emma is in herself a great character, a young woman seeking adventure. Questioning the world around her, in a time when women were seldom seen yet alone heard. She is a precursor to a Suffragette. A strong woman who you delight in seeing her excel beyond what society dictates her role should be. Our last character to note is young Tommy Stubbins who will be portrayed during the shows run by six young actors each deserve a mention and I hope after tonight’s show I see them develop as an actor in years to come, it’s obvious the stage likes him and the maturity on stage was incredible to see as a Mum myself you feel a sense of pride! So well done to Quillan O’Meara-McDonald, Thomas Ryan, Harry Cross, Elliot Morris, Louis Parker and Elliot Rose.

Watching a stage show quite often changes your perception of a book or a play and I did just that. I’d always thought of Dr Dolittle as a fantasy film, sailing to Sea Star Island a tropical paradise. However if you dig deep and it may all be down to Leslie Bricusse’s skill as a writer, you sense there’s a little dig at how we not only treat animals but how some humans are left voiceless unable to be seen and heard in a world that quite often delivers injustice. The set itself is bright and open for us all to witness changing scenery, workings of each animal, the numbers on stage at times are vast yet never confusing. Again I’m amazed at the sheer skill and obvious attention to details, not to mention hours of practice. The musicians are placed to the side of the set but high up, unobtrusive yet as clear as can be for everyone to see.

In a time of uncertainty and if you’re seeking an escape from Christmas, I guarantee Dr Dolittle will have you toe tapping, humming filled with a warm fuzzy glow.

Bristol Hippodrome – until 6 January 2019

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

5*****

Cinderella is, without a doubt, the must see performance this winter! Oh yes it is!!

Brian Conley and Gok Wan are the epitome of a comic duo in this stunning performance, both taking as much time as humanly possible to engage with the audience throughout the duration of the show.

Brian, as Buttons, stole the hearts and the show last night with his quick wit, goofy smile and undying love for Cinderella that is never reciprocated in the way he would like. His comic timing is impeccable and when coupled with his outstanding improvisation, it is a winning combination. His singing voice is also given a chance to shine with renditions of ‘I’m a Believer’ and even ‘Baby Shark’ to satisfy the younger audience-he sings this whilst sat on the toilet and the children erupted with excitement! Brian was a fantastic casting choice and will leave you feeling exhausted from laughing!

Gok Wan as the ‘Fairy Gokmother’ was simply Fabulous! His entrance to the stage was twinned with an eccentric pyrotechnic and the biggest smile the audience could imagine! It felt like he was all our Gokmothers, as he engaged with the audience seamlessly and fully owned the stage. He really came alive when on stage with Conley and their spontaneity and improvisation was brilliant. His character was enhanced by the mass of silver glitter that adorned his costume and made him look utterly magical. 

Mike Coleman’s costumes were shown superbly throughout the show, but Ben Stock and Neal Wright as Ugly Stepsisters Tess and Claudia had a constant string of garishly beautiful costumes that complimented their characters. Stock and Wright adorned a Bristol accent for this show that made it feel personal to the audience. They were spectacularly in time with each other, with most of their lines delivered together and they were fabulously horrible!

Lauren Hall and Scott Mobley as Cinderella and Prince Charming were a lovely compliment to the production. We didn’t see too much of these, but they both had lovely singing voices and aided the story along. Matthew Malthouse as Dandini was also a wonderful addition to the cast and provided the classic thigh slap that is loved within pantomimes. 

The show would not be complete without the ensemble and every member of the ensemble were spectacular and carried out Matthew Cole’s Choreography seamlessly. The Bristol School of Dancing also provided 16 budding dancers with the opportunity to shine in this show, filling the young boys and girls with hope of making it on stage one day. 

The stand out aspect of this show is the long awaited transformation scene. The vast sets are stripped down to a black backdrop and the horse and carriage fly high above the heads of the audience. This is Ian Westbrook and 3D creations at their best with set design and Kathryn Rooney’s direction is astonishing. 

This is an array of innuendo, humour, magic and colourful sets that should not be missed. Oh no, it shouldn’t!!

Sheffield Lyceum – until 6 January 2019

Reviewed by Lottie Davis-Browne

4****

It’s that time of year again….oh yes it is!!! Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a trip to a pantomime and Sheffield theatres pantomimes have been a huge hit with audience members for decades, and never fail to provide laughs a plenty, audience participation and of course….”a fat bloke in a dress!”

Damian Williams (now in his eleventh year with Sheffield Theatres) is somewhat of a celebrity amongst regular Sheffield theatre goers – each year bringing in the comedy and craziness as he puts on (several) flamboyant dresses to be the panto Dame, his costumes alone (Helga Wood – Set and Costume Designer) are one of the real highlights for me personally. From the “Baby Bubble Bath” bright blue dress as the story opens, adorned with large rubber ducks along the edge, to the sailor dress in Neverland to the grand head piece for the finale, the quirky and over-the-top costumes worn by Mrs. Smee (Damian Williams) certainly has a wardrobe that is far from ordinary!

This years panto is the J. M. Barrie classic “Peter Pan”, which last graced the stage at the Lyceum, Sheffield in 2010, making this it’s fourth production (the first being in 1982, and again in 1991 and 2000) in Sheffield Theatres.

A much loved classic, Peter Pan tells the story of the three Darling children – Wendy (Samantha Dorrance), Michael (a shared role, tonight being played by Alex Marriott) and John (also a shared role, tonight being played by Ben Rossiter) who one evening get whisked away to the magical world of Neverland by a flying boy who never grows up.

The panto opens with the ensemble – Native Americans from Neverland running down the isle and getting the audience participation in full swing with clapping and singing, before disappearing at the arrival of Mrs. Darling (Wendi Peters) – an affluent mother who cares more about organising a party of “One thousand guests – including a few commoners (points to the audience) – like (points to audience member) – do you dress for comfort I see?!” – hurriedly trying to get the children to sleep Mrs Darling reluctantly reads the children the story of Peter Pan, telling them that he IS real and that he is going to visit tonight, but in order for him to do so they must be fast asleep. Soon the children drift off and just like their mother promised, Peter flies into the children’s bedroom.

Peter (David Ribi) tells the Darling children all about Neverland and invites them to join him – encouraging them to “think happy thoughts” to enable them to fly away with him (helped with a little magical fairy dust) and soon the children and in a magical world, with mermaids and an evil Pirate by the name of Captain Hook (Shaun Williamson).

The flying scenes recreate the magic of the original book and various film adaptations beautifully, with the children, Peter and Tinkerbell flying across the streets of London, through space and eventually into Neverland.

Wendi Peters has the rather challenging task of three different roles – Mrs Darling, a Mermaid and Chief Squatting Cow. It’s her role as a mermaid which I particularly laughed out loud at the most, but she is equally comically funny to watch as Squatting Cow – leader of Native American Tribe the “Crazy Horses”.

There’s bundles of slapstick comedy, cheesy jokes and singing and dancing (watch out for the incredible acrobatic team!) along with audience participation a-plenty. Unlike Peter Pan, my inner child lays somewhat dormant which isn’t great when it comes to the likes of pantomimes and slapstick comedy. Although this production was faultless I admit that as much as I tried to love it I personally struggled. Don’t be put off by this however, there’s something for everyone in this production. For me the real highlight was Wendi Peters singing the ballad “Nothings Gonna Harm You” from musical Sweeney Todd, later sung by Ribi as Peter Pan.

Jo Osmond gave a show stealing performance as loveable fairy Tinkerbell. Just like Tinkerbell. Osmond is petite in stature but what Jo lacks in height she makes up for in personality and fiestiness – her Tinkerbell proves that good things really do come in small packages.

Although Hook is usually a character to fear, I found it hard to get that feeling from Shaun Williamson in the role. This has nothing to do with his acting, there’s just something about his face that makes it difficult to find him remotely scary. (And no, I have never watched Eastenders!) Luckily there was enough audience participation to remind me what a wicked character Hook is supposed to be. I would love to see Shaun perform on stage as the good guy – his face after all is such a jolly one – infant I think he would make the perfect Father Christmas!

With the festive period just weeks away, if you want the perfect escape from reruns of Christmas movies, mince pies and left over turkey, then this is the ideal family escape – get wrapped up warm and head into Sheffield for a traditional Christmas pantomime.

New Wimbledon Theatre – until 6 January 2019

Reviewed by Sabrina Fancy

4****

If you are looking for a bit of magic this holiday season with the children, come along to the New Wimbledon theatre for the panto production of Aladdin.

Aladdin is a new look at an old favourite, very different from the Disney film most audiences are familiar with. There were plenty of modern day references about Tinder, Brexit and Wimbledon-based jokes.

Paul Merton, on the hugely popular Have I Got News For You, plays one of the lead roles as Aladdin’s mother, Widow Twankey. Merton starts off a bit nervous, but a he finds his stride, eliciting lots of laughter from the audience and was most certainly, the star of the show!

Leading comedian and magician Pete Firman plays the role of Aladdin’s brother ‘Wishee Washee’. There were several comedic scenes between Merton and Firman who had an excellent rapport between them, with some of the funniest moments of the panto making for great entertainment.

The other headliner none other than boyband member Lee Ryan whose credits include being a member of Blue, and starring as Woody Woodward on EastEnders. As a fan of Blue, I was excited for the chance to see Ryan performing live. Unfortunately, Ryan’s vocals fell flat, perhaps because his characteristic falsetto was not adequately utilized.

Even when performing a slow version Blue’s hit single ‘One Love’ it seemed like a very awkward coupled with very basic dance moves throughout the performance. Ryan has not utilized any of his Strictly come dancing training and seemed uncomfortable while on stage. In contrast, Alladin’s love interest Princess Jasmine played by Lauren Chia had a role which was not very substantial. She had great stage presence and vocals but was very underutilized and would have enjoyed seeing more from her and Linda John Pierre who played her mother with powerful vocals!

The scenery and special effects in this production are really spectacular! The magic carpet ride is just sensational! The effects required the use of 3-D glasses (which are provided) and made you feel like you were a part of the adventure in Aladdin’s cave. While looking around, I saw many mesmerised children who were in awe of what was going on around them. This was truly something that children will remember and was a large part of the production.

I recommend it as an enjoyable experience for children

Hull New Theatre – until 30th December 2108

Reviewed by Cath McWilliams

4****

The pink glittery backdrop, slippers and stars being projected around Hull New Theatre and the buzz of excitement from the children could only mean one thing; we were waiting for the start of Qdos Entertainments pantomime Cinderella. The band struck up and there were squeals of delight around the theatre as the Fairy Godmother (Jocasta Almgill) appeared to start the story.

This is a very traditional pantomime full of all the things you would want, bad jokes, innuendos for the adults, audience participation, a baddie to boo at, songs to join in with, dancing, good triumphing over evil, but most of all lots of fun, lots of laughter and lots of silliness. There were lots of local references and jokes and someone had done their homework very well, as all were accurate – if sometimes making me wince! I left the theatre with a huge grin on my face and the buzz from the audience as we left was one of satisfaction and enjoyment.

The story is the one we all know, Prince Charming (Neil McDermott) is throwing a ball to find himself a wife but Cinderella (Hannah Nicholas) is not allowed to go as her stepmother, the very evil Baroness Angelique (Anita Dobson) wants her daughters to marry the Prince. Of course the Fairy Godmother saves the day with her magic so that Cinderella can go to the ball and meet her Prince Charming and after a little bother marry him.

Anita Dobson is superb as Baroness Angelique and earned the biggest boos from the audience last night. Her voice is seductively evil and frankly I believed she would cut off her daughter’s toes so that her foot fitted the shoe!! It was clear that she relished every moment of it.

The two sisters were played by David Dale (Claudia) and Tommy Wallace (Tess) and what a pair they were! A big shout out needs to go to the costume designers as their costumes were incredible in their awfulness! I particularly liked the traffic light dress. The pairs coming timing was excellent as they attempted to catch their prince.

Martyn James quickly established a rapport with the audience as Buttons and the children loved his magic tricks. Baron Hardup (Bernie Clifton) was the one to add a great deal of silliness to the proceedings, though his rendition of Love Changes Everything was particularly heartfelt.

Neil McDermott was suitably charming as Prince Charming and worked well with his sidekick Dandini (Liam Marcellino). Hannah Nicholas made a sweet Cinderella and Jocasta Almgill added a bit of oomph to the Fairy Godmother.

Choreography was excellent and the ensemble and the children from the LWHS School of dance were faultless as they danced through the show. This performance was also dependent on the superb costumes, the fabulous scenery and lighting and a cracking band to make sure the audience had a great night out

Traditional but never old fashioned, Cinderella hits all the buttons. This is a fun filled night for all the family – take a night away from the tv to go and enjoy live theatre.

Yvonne Arnaud – until 6th January 2019

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

This is a fully inflated panto with two caricature dames centre stage. There are classic annual scenes that the audience know are coming and give a cheer of anticipation. Alongside traditional panto shenanigans and terrible jokes, you have current tunes from The Greatest Showman and Baby Shark. Entertaining, however I have seen better written scripts that allow a smoother flow in the performance.

Buttons (Jamie Brook) is a lovable character, played just silly enough so that the children in the audience instantly liked him. Georgie Leatherland (Cinderella) and Cameron Burt (Prince Charming) are your average star crossed lovers, giving the story line its substance.

Stand out performances go to The Ugly Sisters, Coleen (Peter Gordon) and Kimmy (Nick Barclay) who are a little more aggressive in their bullying than I have seen before, ramping up their evil roles. This is complemented by their hilarious facial contortions, oversized costumes
and wigs.

By far the best performance of the night for me goes to Kit Hesketh-Harvey (Dandini), struggling to play nice when he usually plays the villain! His liquid tones draw you in to an adult world of humour that you cannot resist. This is counterbalanced by Michelle Gayle (Fairy Sweetness) and her dulcet tones.

Director Jamie Smith and his creatives have created a feast of sparkles and colour for the eye, with slick scene changes and a variety of music. The ensemble danced and sang beautifully, bringing the whole thing to life. Generally a good offering for the festive season.

New Victoria Theatre, Woking –  until Sunday 6th January 2019.

Reviewed by Becky Doyle

5*****

Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother of all pantomimes truly brought about the magic and sparkle of Christmas for me. From the offset with its clear Strictly Come Dancing theme (Claudia and Tess two very gruesome step sisters!) I could not fault the energy or enthusiasm from all that were involved. I was fully engrossed for the entirety of the performance as were all who surrounded me.

The cast at large were ‘fab-u-laaaas darling’ each bringing their own to their roles, Phil Butler (Buttons) in particular had the crowd in stitches with his comic performance especially during an excellent scene with Paul Chuckle (Baron Hardup) which involved a conveniently placed hole and a rather wriggly cucumber. Craig Revel Horwood (Baroness Demonica Hardup) brought to his character everything and more from what you would expect having watched him over the years as that hard to please judge on Strictly, his solo dance was one that had jaws open and eyes wide!

The second half of the show saw me sat on the edge of my seat as I was covered in fairy dust and Cinders was locked in the cupboard with me shouting at the top of my lungs in response to Prince Charming “shes behind you!” Getting more and more engrossed into the story Baron Hardup breaks into song that brings the crowd to their feet and hands clapping. Oh! What fun and joy that the screams encouraged an encore!

Mums and dads were picked to go on stage and lets just say there was a lot of comedy and many a cream pie to the amusement of all, especially for the kids whos parents were being covered!

Cinderella, played by Sophie Isaacs had her glass slippers on and it was time for her to marry Prince Charming (Oliver Savile) I was blown away by their singing and the fireworks that highlighted the end of the show. It has been many years since I have gone to a Pantomime and Alan McHugh’s adaptation of Cinderella was one that was fun for kids, adults and all the family. I would highly recommend.