Cinderella

A good panto is made up of many important elements – it should be funny, heart warming, fast paced, vibrant and entertaining. A great Panto should be all of these things plus have that little extra sparkle that comes from a cast enjoying themselves so much that they draw the audience in and make us feel like part of the story. Congratulations Danbury on a GREAT Panto!

 

Everyone involved in this Panto should be extremely proud of what they have achieved with this production. The creative vision from Directors Jonathan and Emily was spot on. Keeping it traditional but with modern touches throughout, this was a joyful and immersive take on the much loved tale of Cinderella.

 

The show was cast to perfection with every performer suited to their role. Lydia Rose made a lovely, graceful Cinderella and was well matched with Helen Dunn as the slightly pompous but still likeable Prince Charming. Both sang and moved well throughout. I understand Lydia is also largely responsible for the fantastic costumes. They really were beautiful, particularly the Pixie costumes and Cinderella’s ball gown.

 

Comedy came by the bucket load from the ugly sisters Andy West and Sam Randall. Both had me laughing every time they were on stage. Also costumed brilliantly to enhance the comedy value – I hope this is a duo we will see together again.

 

Perhaps the most loved character in Cinderella is Buttons, her best friend. Al Pitcher was wonderful in this role. Engaging with the audience and keeping the pace moving along nicely. I’m not sure many people would be able to get away with some of the adlib jokes he threw in – but Al somehow did – drawing gasps and much laughter from the adults in the audience.

 

I was also impressed with Steve Butler as Dandini. He gave a confident performance and his drum playing was a great addition to his song.

 

Emma Rudd made an excellent baddie as the Baroness, Cinderella’s evil step mother. She also has a superb singing voice and worked well with Carl Carrington who gave a suitably sweet portrayal of the cash strapped Baron.

 

Another lovely pairing from Kyla Randall and Shannon Emerson as “Rough and Ready”. Both were funny and worked the audience well.

 

Completing the principal line up Hazel Murrell made a great Fairy Godmother, bringing warmth but fun to the role.

 

The entire cast did a wonderful job and I must congratulate those is smaller roles too. I could hear everyone clearly, from the more experienced performers to the younger ones. Without exception every cast member brought energy, sang out and moved well.

 

The vocals and dancing were of a good standard and I really appreciated the harmonies that came through in the ensemble numbers. Often pantomimes don’t make use of a Musical Director but having Alexander Owers on board here really made a difference. I also loved the solo lines from the gorgeous Pixie’s – there are some really lovely singing voices in this group. Choreography worked well on this stage with it never looking too crowded. Credit to Emily Whyte, Sam Randall, Shannon Emerson and Kyla Randall for this.

 

The set was absolutely superb, especially the cleverly made bed that was put to good use in the scene with the Ugly Sisters and the monster. The special effects were also brilliant. Even if they didn’t always go to plan! I was slightly concerned that the hall might have to be evacuated at one point due to the fire in the bucket not going out. But it was dealt with nicely by the cast and no harm was done.

 

Overall this was a panto of the highest standard, performed wonderfully by a talented group and full of memorable moments. I enjoyed it immensely.

 

I would also like to say thank you to everyone that made me feel so welcome. It was great to get to chat to the Directors and the tech team too.

 

Congratulations Danbury on a wonderful show. You deserved your full houses and I am already looking forward to seeing what you do next year.

 

 

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