Cinderella

The theatre was very busy and full of hustle and bustle when I arrived. Clearly an excited audience waiting to see Cinderella!
The cloths were lovely, particularly the forest. This worked really well in the transformation scene as well with the lighting and smoke. The other cloths gave good indications of where we were – village, kitchen, ballroom etc and the stairs in the ballroom were as we’d expect to see in Cinderella, perfect for making those entrances.
The Darth Vader theme was fitting for the Baroness’ (Jane Rayner) entrance, and very topical! A great choice! The baking scene was set quite far back so I struggled to see and hear what was going on; however I really liked the addition of the mince, and the boys interpretation of ‘more mince’. The Baron (David Thompson) was suitably henpecked throughout, and we definitely felt sorry for him. A beautifully sung duet by Cinderella (Cassie Weston) and Prince Charming (Samantha Slim) at the ball, and the dancing was very elegant by all the ball guests. Bodget (Ashleigh Masters) and Leggett (Emily Aldis) were suitably funny as the comedy duo. Although their lines were sometimes a little rushed, they maintained good energy on the stage. Vicky Huxster as the Fairy Godmother was commanding of the stage, and had a lovely singing voice. Buttons played by Peter Norfolk was energetic and funny. He had a good relationship with the audience, and handled it really well when his bunny was substituted for a Hippo!! The ghost sequence was well done with a good pace and energy. The ghosts were clearly enjoying themselves!
It was clear that the audience were enjoying the show as there was plenty of laughter and applause, although I missed quite a few lines from the principals as a result of this which is a shame. A great mix of young and old in the ensemble, who were all enthusiastic on the stage.

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