Cinderella

I could sum up this production in a couple of sentences.

1. My niece (who is easily bored) frequently laughed until she cried.
2. We were remembering scenes and chuckling about it, days later.

Various versions of this popular tale have been told to generations throughout the world and the rags to riches story we know as Cinderella remains as popular today as ever.

I was impressed with Southwick Players imaginative pantomime programme which included the history of the Cinderella story as well as a page with a Cinderella wordsearch, a cartoon, jokes and a trick by the step sisters.

The Southwick Players production was a funny, upbeat production with oodles of hilarity throughout. 

The sets, designed by Len Shipton, were excellent. They created a sense of entering into a child’s pop up storybook with the changes as seamless as turning a page. There was the countryside with country cottages, a forest, the castle kitchen and hearth where Cinderella resided, the castle exterior and a wondrous ballroom with grandfather clock. I loved the topical humour of the Brexit Inn or Out.

There was a great choice of music with songs ranging from Burn Baby Burn and You’re My Best Friend, to I’d Do Anything. The lighting worked well, especially the green lighting with the soundtrack heralding the stepmother or sisters.  The unexpected guitar solo went down a treat and delighted the audience.

The costumes were a mixture of wonderful and and curious. The stepsisters superlative gowns, stripy tights and outrageous wigs clashed with their stepmother’s more modern style and I’m not sure this worked, although their acting and interactions were funny enough to distract attention from this detail. Similarly, the guests at the ball wore a mixture of old and more modern garments, but this had been foreshadowed at the beginning when Buttons explained that people could wear what they liked to the ball. True to the story, Cinderella’s peasant style dress and bodice were followed by sumptuous ball gown, but apart from the stepsisters outfits, the most wondrous garments had to be the prince in his gold costume and his purple wedding outfit.

The whole cast worked as one to produce a hugely entertaining pantomime with bucket loads of  talent from the youngest to the most mature!

Buttons (Dave Eccleshall) was the linchpin of the show with his powerful, mellifluous singing voice and engaging personality. He encouraged plenty of audience interactions and dealt expertly and humorously with various sweet and funny interruptions from excited children.  

Ian Bishop and H Reeves as Stepsisters Asphyxia and Euthanasia – great names- were a hoot as they argued and jostled each other adding slapstick and drawing plenty of laughter from the audience. Their interpretation, mannerisms and expressions were a delight. Euthanasia’s wonderful laugh was reminiscent of Charles Hawtry, for those ripe enough to remember him in the Carry On films. Their mother, Baroness Hardupp (Liz Gibson,) was thrillingly scary as she bossed and threatened her husband, her daughters and everyone else.

Phoebe Cook was an outstanding thigh slapping Dandini, full of wholehearted gusto and hilariously over-the-top. Some of her expressions and sheer enthusiasm in various scenes and songs, such as Burn Baby Burn were a joy to watch, as was the trying on of the slipper scene.

A mention must also go to Bonny Hazelwood who managed to create authentic dog movements and sounds for puppet dog Bruno, so that he was totally believable, while keeping in the background herself.

The cast, and chorus were vibrant with merriment as they sang and danced through the show. Amy Bowyer’s choreography was well done especially the mice, the horsemen and the hunt and the fantasy coach scene with Cinderella and Buttons. Cinderella (Poppy Hall) had a sweet, harmonious singing voice and did a lovely acapella rendition of Dilly Dilly.  

The glitterball bringing the magic into the audience and the bubbles released at the end of the show really added that extra sprinkle of magic.  Directors Amy Bowyer and Amanda Reeves, Producer Sally Diver, the actors and the rest of the talented technical and creative team, should feel very proud of this enchanting production.

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