Cinderella

According to a national survey conducted in 2021, Cinderella is the nation’s favourite pantomime.  So it’s no surprise that the Norbury Theatre have chosen to revisit this story, last performed here as recently as 2017, for their annual panto.  And it proved a wise choice indeed, as the enthusiastic, talented cast delivered a show brim-full of panto goodness, perfect for chasing away the January blues! 

Cinderella is, of course, the story of a young girl, reduced to the role of servant by her wicked stepmother and ugly sisters, who nevertheless wins the heart of a Prince, with a little help from her friends.  The script, by John Birchley, largely stayed close to the traditional plot, although there were a few tweaks here and there.  I liked that Cinderella met and was kind to her (disguised) Fairy Godmother early on, giving that character some extra motivation to help her.  On the other hand, I was a bit puzzled by Cinderella giving the Prince her name and address when they first met in the woods (and again at the ball), thereby rendering the whole glass slipper business somewhat redundant!  But no matter, the script was decorated with plenty of corny jokes, and all the usual panto business was present and correct. 

Sophie Mason led the cast as a sweet and winsome Cinderella, showing off a nice singing voice, particularly in an enchanting duet with her Prince Charming, confidently played by Amanda Blockley.  Jimmy Hill was a notably lovelorn Buttons (or should that be Branstons?!), delivering plenty of gags and interacting well with the audience.  Also on the side of the good guys, Kate Goode made the most of her opportunities as the Fairy Godmother. 

Christopher Newbould played Baron Hardup with a frantic, nervous energy that worked well with Jo Lush’s calmly stern Stepmother. As the ugly sisters, Bombay and Sapphire, Paul Steele and Tom Collen injected a welcome sense of madness, with good use of voice and facial expressions to convey their characters.  Kate Powell and Stacy Harrison were also impressive, and very funny, as another double act – the broker’s men Bobby and Clyde.  Completing the principal cast, were Emma Waters as a lively Dandini, Daniel Chorley as an authoritative Major Domo and Ryan Simcock as a footman with a nice line in sardonic asides.

Supporting the main cast were a large supporting cast of twenty six, playing the villagers of Woodvale, alongside a team of six senior dancers and a very cute junior chorus of six (who proceeded to steal every scene they were in!)  The ensemble were mainly involved in a handful of songs that, whilst well performed, were somewhat divorced from the rest of the show.  I preferred the moments when they were more integrated with the main story, such as the children visiting Cinderella and the dancers joining Buttons for a fun rendition of ‘Achy Breaky Heart’.  Having said that, everyone in the ensemble gave their all, and their enthusiasm and enjoyment in performing was infectious. 

The show was efficiently directed by John Birchley and Anne Lane, whilst Kirsty Purvis contributed some neat choreography.  After a slightly tentative start, the cast built the energy effectively during the ninety minute first half, particularly once they got the audience more involved.  A bit disappointingly, we didn’t get a transformation scene, instead being treated to a series of pictures bathed in UV light.  This was fine, but I did feel that the absence of Cinders in her ballgown left us a bit flat going into the interval.  The second half, centred around the Prince’s ball and its aftermath, swept us along nicely to our happily-ever-afters (although I always feel for poor Buttons at this point!) 

The set was fairly minimal, being limited to a backdrop showing Hardup Hall and some flats showing the front door and an interior fireplace – I liked the ingenious way that they were quickly switched between the two.  Lighting was fine, although perhaps a little more variety could have been introduced at times (such as in the woods or at the Palace).  As expected at the Norbury, the backstage team operated extremely efficiently.  I thought that the costumes were well done – with a particularly good series of outfits for the ugly sisters – and the transformation of the whole cast for the wedding scene at the end was truly impressive.

My thanks to everyone at the Norbury for their warm welcome, and congratulations on putting on a crowd pleasing show that clearly delighted those present in the audience, both young and old!  I look forward to seeing you all again soon – oh, yes I do!

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