Cinderella

The pantomime opened with the usual introduction from the Fairy and in that role Becky Grenander’s diction was good as she set the scene for what was to come. Her frock was very pretty but her shoes didn’t complement it.

Kim Sullivan gave a high-octane performance as Buttons and never relaxed for one moment. She deserved much more from the audience than they gave her.
On that subject I felt the audience was not a particularly involved one, and in part some of that was down to the pace of the pantomime and the long sections of dialogue which lost the children and, I’m afraid, some of the adults attention too.
In the title role of Cinderella, Emily Fennel’s acting and dialogue were good, she looked lovely in the splendid blue ball gown and she had stage presence.
Daryn White’s acting was fine as Prince Charming but he didn’t project very well and it was difficult to hear some of his dialogue. It was quite clear that he was wearing a wig of course, but the one he was wearing unfortunately did little to enhance his appearance as a handsome prince. Surely something better could have been provided for him?
Baron Hardup is a rather non-descript part but Jim Allen did what he could with the character of the stepfather of the two ugly sisters.
Steve Moore and Paul Stiff playing Listeria and Salmonella (great names!) provided comedy and looked splendid in their outrageous costumes. Steve gave a confident performance but Paul had a tendency to let his voice drop – however they looked very funny together with the discrepancy in their heights. They too had little back from the audience in the way of encouragement so less laughter was forthcoming than there might otherwise have been.
In the role of Dandini, Craig Marshall was notable. He gave a self-assured performance and had charisma.
Suzanne Litter made the most of her part as the Major Domo and did it well.
The small female chorus were very busy backing the players in different situations and they appeared involved in the action at all times.

Sue Robinson dancers did not take part this time but the Allegro Performers filled the gap beautifully. Their disciplined and well-rehearsed input was delightful.

Costumes were good – the numerous wigs were a little mixed.
The backcloth of the palace was attractive, the trees in the second act were really good and the coach was praiseworthy!  I liked the long sock used during the slipper- trying scene, but the chairs would have looked better had they been wooden rather than the white plastic ones.
The lighting added to the atmosphere of the pantomime but the sound effects were a little ‘sudden’ and needed fading in and out more.
Choreography for the cast was attractive.
Choice of music was enjoyable, especially ‘Oh What a Night’ and ‘I’d Do Anything’
Pantomime, contrary to popular belief, is a very difficult genre to stage, and probably the most important aspect is the pace. If the jokes are delivered with punch/style then the audience will react as you want them to do and the whole show will roll along nicely. Never be afraid to cut the dialogue a little so that the ‘actions speak louder than words’. An old adage but very true!

As a member of the audience I was concerned at the behaviour of one child in particular who spent a great deal of the time lying in the centre aisle without any restraint from her family. Not only was this distracting to those of us trying to focus on the pantomime it was also dangerous. The aisle was used frequently for entrances and exits and a member of the FOH needed to be aware of the situation to ensure that an adult controlled her. Fortunately there were no unfortunate accidents.

Your programme is very well presented and I understood that you were planning to enter it into the NODA poster/programme competition. In order to qualify as an entrant the NODA emblem must be included. Jim did ask me about this but it does not appear to be in the programme after all.

E. Gloria Smith.
NODA South East Regional Representative – District 12

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