Cinderella

Trusthorpe Village Hall Theatre Group are a small group but with a big heart!  They are currently celebrating their 75th pantomime which is an incredible achievement in this age of closing theatre groups especially after Covid.  The group has a modernised hall and new LED lights and despite having a relatively small performing area the cast certainly gave their all in their production of ‘Cinderella.’

Everyone knows the story of Cinderella – a mistreated young girl abused by her obnoxious sisters and stepmother who is magically transformed (with the aid of a fairy godmother a pumpkin and some mice) into a glamorous gown and coach to attend the Royal ball.  There she meets her handsome Prince and falls in love but, on the stroke of midnight, leaves the party depositing her glass slipper (more on that later) for the prince to find finally turning the tables on her monstrous family to live happily ever after.  Produced by Christopher Pratt and with an original script by Jason Mawby, this story sticks to the general theme but without any of the usual double meanings that many pantomimes incorporate instead producing a show that is truly family friendly.

Firstly, we meet Rob Ives, playing the part of the Step-Mother, who warmly welcomed everyone to the panto.  Rob, who was also one of directors, played the dame with a tongue in cheek confidence and laid-back approach that showed his experience.  His speeches were full of lots of local references and modern political comments that had the audience roaring with laughter.  Rob was the glue that held the show together whether sparring with his diabolical daughters or berating poor Cinderella.  During the interval, he also had the honour of being crowned Sutton-on-Sea Carnival Queen by the Town Cryer (accompanied by the Carnival Jester) which was obviously a proud moment for him.

Next, we meet the fairies not just one but four each with individual personalities and sassiness. Fairy Nuff (Sydney Hales), Fairy Dust (Tyler Scarlett), Fairy Lights (Emily Francis complete with light-up skirt and sash) and Fairy Liquid (Jaydon Sleap-Scott).  The four fairies performed beautifully together interacting confidently with the audience.  Special mention goes to Tyler whose stage presence shone through - definitely a future star in the making.

Then we have the chorus of villagers who were just adorable all sporting bright and cheery sunshines on their T shirts singing and dancing to ‘Wake up Boo.’  There must have been some proud parents in the audience as each member gave their all, overcoming any signs of initial shyness.  Well done!  The chorus appeared at various points throughout the show wearing different matching T-shirts that related to the theme of the song they were performing and despite the young ages of some of their members they performed beautifully.  My favourite routine was a mash-up of ‘One Way or Another’ and ‘Everybody Needs Somebody To Love’ accompanied by Prince Rupert as he searched for the owner of the ‘glass’ slipper.

Next came Cinderella (played confidently and with good comic timing by Jordanne Sleap) and her love-lorn friend the bright and bubbly Buttons (Izzy Wyer).  Both characters worked well together performing the duet ‘I’ll be There for You.’ I especially liked Buttons interaction with the audience as she encouraged them to remind her to wear her hat.  This was relayed by a handy sign bearing the words, so we didn’t forget what to say.   An additional character of Mary (Zoe McNamee) was introduced who had an obvious unrequited love for Buttons.  All played their parts well.

Then we have the villains we love to boo – the stepmother and her daughters Griselda (Mark Parkin in his debut role) and Gertrude (Lynnette Pryke).  These horrible harridans were the heart of the show producing some memorable moments as they bickered and argued trying to up stage each other.  I really loved the interaction with the audience with Gertrude flirting shamelessly with the men and the hilarious facial expressions from Griselda.  Stand-out moments was the stunt with the extendable sock and when Gertrude misunderstood what the remark ‘aubergine is the new black’ meant and came dressed as an actual aubergine!

Cinderella’s paramour thigh slapping Prince Rupert (Jade Manning) was accompanied by ‘twins’ Dan (Caitlin Francis) and Dini (Summer Pickford) and there were some lovely moments between them.  I was particularly impressed with Dan and Dini whose quick delivery of their lines made them into a slick comedy double act. 

Costumes were suitable to the theme of the Panto and Cinderella wore a stunning blue gown for the ball scene which received lots of cheers from the audience.  She was also wearing a pair of ‘invisible’ glass slippers which each sister tried on for size.  This was eventually dropped and shattered with a suitable sound effect to which came the remark - see we said it was real!  The set was a simple backdrop for the village scenes with a few props to indicate whether we were at Trusthorpe Hall, the village or the Palace - I particularly liked the picture of the stepmother on the wall!  Lighting was simple but effective and the stage was well-lit.

Musical directors were Adele Pratt and Jason Mawby who had selected some appropriate songs especially the show-stopper ‘Barbie Girl’ performed with gusto by Rob Ives and ‘the girls.’  Rob also did the music and lyrics for the traditional audience sing-a-long.  One suggestion was maybe to have some character theme music and more sound effects for example a well-placed ‘ba dum tish’ always emphasises a joke.  Choreography was a team effort and really showed particularly with the chorus.

During the interval, I was honoured to present a certificate in recognition for long service to the lovely Pauline Dobbs who has been involved with the pantomime group for 68 years - an incredible achievement and very well deserved.  Pauline and her husband Bernard also acted as our friendly front of house hosts bringing us a tray of tea and coffee at the interval.

Well done to Christopher and his team of creatives, both on stage and behind the scenes, for producing a fun-filled family show that was certainly appreciated by the ample audience.  This little theatre group have been producing pantomimes for 75 years and are the heart of this community.  With all the up-coming young talent showcasing their stage craft skills, I am sure it will continue for many more years to come.

© NODA CIO.  All rights reserved 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.