Cinderella

This year’s Cinderella from the Quince Players was an enthusiastic and heartfelt piece of community theatre, clearly created and performed by a group who genuinely love what they do. The script successfully touched on many of the key elements of classic pantomime storytelling, with strong local references, cheeky humour and moments of real warmth that landed well with the audience.

That said, this was a production firmly rooted in the spirit of amateur theatre, and while there were moments that would have benefited from further depth and refinement, the commitment and enthusiasm of the cast were always evident—particularly as the evening progressed. Much of this can fairly be attributed to first-night nerves, compounded by the sudden illness of a cast member (cast as Dandini), who was taken unwell just before the performance. This understandably affected cast morale and momentum, and the company should be commended for rallying admirably under pressure.

There were flashes of real excellence—most notably from the band, several standout performances, and some clever technical and comic ideas. With tighter technical consistency, stronger vocal support, and more cohesive design choices, this production could be elevated significantly in future runs.

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