Cinderella

What would you get if you mixed a talented group of principals with a vibrant set of chorus and dancers, a dedicated and hardworking team behind the scenes, some great musicians and mix it all together with an imaginative Director? You would Cinderella by Rowntree Players.

This was my first pantomime of the season and what a great way to start – such style, such fun, such talent and such imagination.

Rowntree Players took all the essential elements of the traditional Cinderella story but put their own twist on them, moving the whole story to Hotel Windy End in York, and what a refreshing change that made. 

The heart of the Cinderella story is Buttons – get that right and everything else falls in to place. My goodness, did you get it right. Gemma McDonald is a perfect Buttons – her rapport with the audience is a joy, her comic timing is spot on AND she can sing ! What more could you want? Loved the “to do list” song.

Sara Howlett, as Cinderella, gave a more spirited performance than a usual principal girl. She looked good and had a clear, tuneful singing voice. Prince Charming (Hannah King) and Dandini (Sophie Bullivant) were a good double act and made the most of their appearances together. Their singing voices blended beautifully.

There were 2 strong performances from characters often underplayed in Cinderella – Baron Hardup (Barry Johnson) and the Prince’s Mother, Queen of Hearts (Jeanette Hunter). 

Which leaves us with – the trio of “femme fatales” – the Ugly Sisters and their dominant Mother. Interestingly, in this version of the story – they aren’t wicked sisters and stepmother to Cinderella, which gave more depth to their characters. Marie-Louise Surgenor, as the Mother, was a powerhouse vocalist, with a strong stage presence. She revelled in playing the villain of the piece and loved eliciting the boos from a packed audience. And, what can I say about the Ugly Sisters – Cassandra (Jamie McKellar) and Miranda (Michael Cornell). They kept the audience entertained from their very first entrance, with their multiple costume changes, facial expressions and comedic timing. Their routine, with Cinderella, of the classic Morecambe and Wise routine, was absolutely brilliant.

The whole story was held together by a very irreverent Fairy Flo, played by Laura Castle. She was funny, sassy and a delight to watch.

The principal lineup was completed by Fairy Queen (Bernie Calpin) and Flunkit (Geoff Walker).

It was good to hear a full band, under the baton of James Robert Ball, who added an extra dimension to the pantomime with a good selection of songs, old and new. The harmony singing in the ensemble numbers was excellent. I was particularly impressed with “Flash Bang Wallop”, “Shut up and Dance/Raise Your Glass” and “Omigod”. All the ensemble numbers were delightfully choreographed by Ami Carter.

The most amazing thing about Rowntree Players is that everything is done in-house, which means they have a dedicated, hard-working team of people working behind the scenes to ensure that the show looks as good as it sounds. Costumes were stunning – bright, appropriate and fitted (Leni Ella, Andrea Dillon, Jackie Holmes and Claire Newbold) ; sound( Ollie Nash) and lighting(Nick Lay and Nigel Metheringham) added to the overall look and feel of the pantomime. Nick and Nigel also acted as Stage Managers – well done on a great job. They were helped by Paul Mantle, as the Technical Stage Manager.

The essential element of staging Cinderella is the transformation scene – that has to be right. And it was – what a piece of theatrical magic. The appearance of a stunning flying carriage and horses drew gasps of delight from the audience (and me!) Congratulations to the large team of people who designed and built not only the carriage but the rest of the set as well.

Anybody else ? Oh yes, the Director, Howard Ella, who also wrote the pantomime, along with Gemma McDonald. As I said at the start of this report, Howard understands pantomime and that it has to evolve to keep it relevant, whilst, at the same time, keeping all the elements we have come to expect. He delivered another first class pantomime full of everything we love about this genre of theatre. He was ably assisted by a Production Manager (Helen Woodall) and her assistant (Lisa Green)

Thanks for a wonderfully entertaining pantomime, that brightened up a cold, dark December day.

 

 

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