The Hexagon Reading – until Sunday 5 January 2025
Reviewed by Rebecca Salveson
5*****
Cinderella is one of the most famous pantomime story of all, and Justin Fletcher has pulled it out of the bag again and has created a traditional fairytale panto that is full of everything you could possibly want from a good old English Panto!.
This much-loved tale ticks all the right boxes. The Evil stepmother, “Madame Frost” (Ally Cox) and her horrid daughters Porcelaina, (Rachel Delooze) and Lavina, (Bex Allingham) provide us with the baddies we love to hate and give plenty of opportunities for boo’s and hisses! There is the dashing Prince(Carl Tracey)with his signature smile and his right-hand man Dandini (Adam Pettigrew) and of course the charming and beautiful Cinderella (Samantha Dorrance). The fairy Godmother, Fairy Goodheart (Casandra Lee) enchanted us all and this stella cast was topped off by the brilliant partnership of Buttons (Justin Fletcher) and Nanny Gumdrop (Paul Morse). The ensemble supports the cast brilliantly and it was lovely to see some younger faces taking part.
The pace of the show was perfect and there was contemporary music teamed with traditional panto slapstick, jokes and a sprinkle of panto magic. There really is something for every age and every taste, tradition mixed with new and fresh content. There were plenty of ‘laugh out load moments’ and lots of audience participation, the jokes were new and landed well with adults and children alike. We were pleased to see that elements of the Hexagon Panto that we have come to love were still included. The script is excellent and provided room for ad-lib moments and spontaneity amongst the cast, the relationship between Buttons and Nanny Gumdrop is ‘gold’!
New this year to the Hexagon was the high-tech digital scenery and wow it really brought the stage to life and had my two young nieces gasping in amazement. This new technology catapults the panto right into the 21st century!
The whole cast are outstanding, and the costumes and musical numbers add glitter and glamor to the story.
If you’re looking for a pantomime to bring joy to the whole family and get you in the Christmas spirit, then look no further! Come and see Cinderella at the Hexagon in Reading and make all your Panto dreams come true!
Thank you Hexagon Theatre