Cinderella

‘Cinderella’
Preston Musical Comedy Society
21.12.24

On Saturday 21st December, I was thrilled to be able to attend this year’s pantomime from Preston Musical Comedy Society, ‘Cinderella’.

In this take on the classic tale, Cinderella lives a hard life under the rule of her wicked stepmother, the Baroness, and her two outrageous stepsisters, Britney and Whitney. With only her best friend Buttons to cheer her up, hope seems far away—until an invitation arrives for a royal ball. With help from her Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is magically transformed for one unforgettable night. At the palace, she catches the eye of the charming Prince, who’s tired of royal duties and longs for true love. His loyal companion Dandini helps orchestrate the evening, while the comical duo Smash and Grab keep things lively. As the clock strikes midnight, Cinderella flees, leaving behind just a single glass slipper. With the help of Nosey Parker and the Baron, the Prince sets out to find the mysterious girl who stole his heart. Will true love triumph over vanity, greed and chaos? With music, laughter and a sprinkle of magic—absolutely did!

This production was led by director, Mark Howard, who drove the production forward with vision and humour. His direction was playful, fun and had a clear vision. The actors were well-rehearsed and fully on board with the director’s concept, and their enjoyment of performing the piece was clear to see from the outset.

Howard was ably supported in creating the world of ‘Cinderella’ by choreographer Gemma Burns and musical director Craig Smith, both of whom added heaps of value and artistic flair to proceedings. Musical numbers were sharp and more than competently delivered and choreography was fun, creative and hugely entertaining.

The visual concept for the piece was also great fun - colourful, bold and inventive throughout. I particularly enjoyed the integration of digital backdrops - many of which had video elements that really made the stage come alive. A great example of how well modern technology can be interwoven into the theatrical experience, without feeling forced or over-used. The practical pieces of set were well-constructed, fit for purpose and almost cartoonish in their presentation - spot on! Lucy Baines, Lauren Twist and Lisa Jolliffe undertook the roles of Stage Manager, Props and Stage Crew respectively and their work was sharp, timely and efficient, helping to maintain the energy of the piece. Bold and inventive makeup was provided by Kirsty Chapman, who did a stellar job in bringing the characters to life visually, alongside Phil Tomlinson and Anne Arkwright on costumes. There were a great many costume changes on the night, as you might expect in a large-scale panto but every detail was delightful.

On then, to the cast, who were a uniform triumph. They were led by Livs Ball as Cinderella and it was lovely to see the work of a performer who gets better every time I see her on stage. Her character was in stark contrast to her performance of Wednesday Addams earlier in the year, and this just cemented that she truly is a performer with admirable range.

Jack Price took on the role of Buttons in this production and he was nothing short of a revelation on the night. Playful, confident and more than a little bit cheeky, this character bridged the gap between the world of the audience and the world of the show. He bounced around the stage like a ball of radiant energy, bellowing out his trademark lines with pure joy. A highlight for me was seeing him zooming around the stage on a heavily modified mobility scooter and seemingly having the time of his life.

As the Prince, Cinderella’s love interest, Kate Parkes was poised, graceful and dashing at every point. She played well against Livs Ball as Cinderella and the pair became very believable as the central characters in the piece. Parkes was supported ably by Hannah Bates, who gave a hilarious turn as the eager-to-please valet, Dandini. A real standout performance and one that my nine-year-old daughter was chattering about for days after!

The Baron and Baroness were brought to life by Gary Hastie and Gemma Jones respectively, who both gave a classic and highly entertaining performance of characters which traditionally rarely get too far away from caricature. Kudos to both for injecting a little bit more life and humour into the characters than I was expecting to see.

Every good panto needs good dames but on this occasion, we didn’t get good dames. We got exquisite ones! Neal McKnight and Daniel Haresnape, as Whitney and Britney, were riotously funny and deliciously naughty from our very first meeting, which was via a pre-recording of them terrorising Preston city centre, before they burst into the auditorium and held the audience hostage with their humour. The pair were dangerous, naughty and absolutely perfect in the show - the audience LOVED them. We’ll rarely see better than these two.

It wouldn’t be a panto without some sort of Fairy Godmother and in PMCS’s version of ‘Cinderella’, the role was confidently and warmly filled by Lucy Spencer, who contributed lots to the success of the show. A strong performance from a talented performer. Supporting this drive for a successful show was Rachel Joyner, who gave a fun and entertaining performance of her character, Nosey Parker, which added to the hugely enjoyable evening in the theatre.

This version of the classic tale delivered yet another stellar double act, in the form of JohnGordon Lane as Smash and Jack Barratt as Grab - the bumbling, would-be henchmen who couldn’t quite get anything right. In their roles, both were lively, fun and endlessly entertaining. I’ve seen both performers before and each of them has firmly cemented their place as someone to keep an eye out for in District 2. Excellent stuff.

The principal cast were more than capably supplemented by the tireless work of the Senior Chorus, which was made up of Eliya Davies, Madison Howells, Eleanor Jolliffe, Rachel Joyner, Cait Moran and Hattie Pridmore. As with the principals, they were sharp, focused and full of life and joy from the outset. The ensemble added a welcome splash of colour and energy to the stage, which only further lifted the performance of the principals and overall effect of the show. Well done to all!

This was a fabulous pantomime which really did have something for everyone, and the evening went by in a flash. Laughter rang around the auditorium throughout the performance and this really did feel like a talented group of cast and creatives who were flexing their muscles and demonstrating what they could achieve together. Truly excellent stuff from Preston Musical Comedy Society - best of luck with whatever comes next!

 

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.