New Wimbledon Theatre – until 5 January 2020
Reviewed by Alexandra Sykes
4****
With nights getting longer and colder the best place to be at the moment is the Panto and none is better than Cinderella at the New Wimbledon Theatre. With an all star cast, lots of laughs and plenty of magic, this is a show not to be missed.
Playing the role of Cinderella is former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton, whose powerful vocals make everyone stop and listen. Although she herself doesn’t mention her past, little jokes mention it, including a character singing “Don’t Cha” to themselves for a few seconds.The villain of the show is Baroness Demonica, played by Samantha Womack, who not only mentions her Eastenders past but begs for it to stop. The Fairy Godmother is played by Lesley Garrett whose opera style voice is powerful and enchanting.
However, the true star of the show is Pete Firman as Buttons. With his cheesy jokes, engagement with the audience and amazing magic tricks, he may not have got the girl he loves but he does have the love of the audience. Rounding out the cast are Edward Chitticks as Prince Charming, whose performance of “I’m Still Standing” could rival Elton John, Will Jennings as Dandini, and Leon Craig and Bobby Delaney as the Ugly Sisters.
With an impressive set, including a gold carriage which flies, and catchy songs, this is definitely a family favourite. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because the microphones stopped working at various points so it was hard to hear what was being said.
A good night out with lots of jokes for both young and old, get a ticket before the clock strikes 12.