Cinderella

Woodlands Theatrical Society presents an entertaining annual pantomime.  This year they performed Cinderella from a script by Alan P Frayne, which perfectly suited them.  In addition to principals and chorus, the cast included the Marian Lane School of Theatre Dance (who are always excellent) dancers and children. So, there was a large cast of 42, excellently marshalled by director Malcolm Alderson, assistant director Tom Berry, choreographer Pamela Alderson plus Marian Lane’s own choreographer, Juliana Haggerty.
 
Buttons (Gareth Graham) was a likeable soul who, as always, wore his heart on his sleeve for Cinderella.  He presented humour and pathos well and had the audience on his side. Chantel Dupree (Cinderella) was an attractive leading lady with a very pleasant voice.  The audience took to her from the outset.  Kirsten Dupree, as Prince Charming, and Adam Waugh, as Dandini, were amusing during the subterfuge when they changed identity.  And when it came to romance, Chantel and Kirsten made a charming couple (Cinders and the Prince), showing they are capable singers/performers.
 
Two Ugly Sisters means two Dames for the price of one - and they were good value.  Malcolm Alderson (Grizelda) and Gary Short (Gertrude)made an amusingly grotesque double act.  They were both very funny with costumes way over the top.  In fact all the costumes were very good, although Buttons could have done with a few more buttons on his tunic to live up to his name.

Pantomime needs good supporting players and here we had John Blakey and Carla Dupree (Baron and Baroness Hardup), Sarah Healy and Marion Faulkner as Bodget and Leggett (an unlikely pair of incompetent village builders) and a very sparkly Pamela Alderson as the Fairy Godmother plus, of course, the Chorus.  A glamorous Baroness Hardup, Cinderella’s evil stepmother, seemed even more intimidating than the usual grotesque.

The running time was long but it flew over and the children in the audience didn’t seem to mind.  I suspect the more balletic dance routines from the Marian Lane group contributed to that but I would not want to have missed their contributions.  The script was very traditional and the cast did not rush it, giving time to make the gags more accessible than is often the case.

The musical numbers were well performed, by principals and chorus, and the dance routines were well choreographed.  The set, which was designed, painted and constructed by the company seemed just right and the piano and drums accompaniment complemented the whole show perfectly.  I saw nothing but smiling faces as I left the hall.

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