Cinderella

You must have been recruiting as some new faces in the cast, nice voices giving some good lively numbers.

In the title role, a delightful Cinderella with good personality, looks, friendly feel, and nice voice, Sophie Blythe very well found and cast. Jack Sinclair as Buttons her friend came over very well with good personality and the appeal needed for this role. Director Carol Rowell did well to match them up and to organise the rest of the traditional cast for this pantomime.

Emma Smith made a lovely Fairy Godmother with warmth and sympathy, vocal good, and she sorted that fairy coach very well.

Andrew Boston as Baron Hardup had a warmth for his part but no chance against that monster of a wife Druzilla, Diane Stimpson who was unfeeling, cruel and only pushy for her daughters, a strong characterisation from her, and we hated her. As for the daughters May and Merkel from Christopher Baker and Luke Fairweather, well they exploited their dame characters with the voices and pushiness, the costumes and wigs, worked well together as sisters against their poor stepsister in their plotting, a good pair.

To the Palace and the Queen, Corinna Laughton, very royal and upper-class and desperate for her son to marry. Becky Harris-Cook looked good as Prince Charming, matched well to Cinderella vocally, and worked well with her servant Dandini from Toni Morina who got more than she bargained for with the Hardup sisters, some good comedy touches.

The broker’s men, Shank and Shiv from Dean Arkell and Mark Chapman, a good contrast of bluster and bullying plus the stupid one as contrast in their repossession of the hall. Also joining in a herald who was not really up to the job from John Brundell, and from another pantomime and blundering in, Snow White from Grace Porter.

A lot in this pantomime with all the extras of ghosts and messiness etc, almost too much as over 3 hours is too long for a pantomime, and we had to enjoy the lively song and dance from the company to give the fun.

However the packed audience with extra chairs being brought in obviously showed that this is what the Parish community wants and supports, and well done to the Players for giving to all.

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