Cinderella

Cinderella is one of the most popular panto titles and this showed with sellout performances. Young and old alike were excited for this classic favourite and they were not disappointed. It combined plenty of current topics, including Strictly, Masked Singer and Traitors, innuendoes and wordplay, a variety of songs and great visuals, along with plenty of booing, hissing and cheering from the audience, always a key to a successful pantomime. This was a script packed with story, action, and a few surprises. Pantomime is all about the visual and transporting everyone to another land. I am always surprised with what is achieved on this small stage. The set was well designed, using the really limited space creatively, and the added stage extension gave the cast plenty of room to move, dance and create interesting groupings and stage plenty of action. Scenes were created and swiftly yet smoothly changed thanks to stage managers, Rowena Saville & Nicki Hood. The set was practical and lavish due to the set build team: Mel Silver, Brian Stead, Jeff Brown and Neil Bradford. The palace ballroom looked lavish with velvet curtains and pillars arranged to give a three-dimensional feel, not to mention the all-important staircase for Cinderella's dramatic entrance and exit. Painted pictures on the walls on the side extensions added interest Thanks for lovely artwork, Julie Birmingham, Matthew Birmingham and Rachel de Luca . I loved the funky cutouts giving the table and chairs a true fantasy panto style. Bright colours were evident in the Boudoir Beauty scene with lots of larger-than-life comedy props with lipstick and powder puffs. All props looked good throughout. Well done to David and Joan Waite. The carry-on curtain creating the area for the Strictly judges was ingenious, along with the buzzers and the cleverly designed coach painted for UV, with all parts fitting perfectly together. In charge of wardrobe, Clare Burnside, Annabelle Burrows and Margaret Townsley did a great job ensuring that the look for everyone’s character was just right. They must have had their work cut out just with the outrageous ugly sister creations. Wigs were a standout feature and well done, especially with the Claudia wig. Sound was in the capable hands of Cole Bradford and Neil Bradford and lighting was by Daryl Harris and Peter Wallwork, which was well designed and controlled. The sound was balanced, and cues were timely. The lighting enhanced the show, but the most standout moment has to be the magical creation of Cinderella's coach in the UV scene, which still looked impressive when the lights went up and all the floating parts had actually been fixed together to make a bold colourful coach for Cinderella to ride in. This creation was so well done it drew gasps and muttering from a delighted audience. Wow!
Chris Binns is certainly no stranger to pantomime, and along with his assistant Chantelle Brooks, ensured an evening of entertainment. Director Chris kept the pacing tight, the comedy landed, and the heart of the story remained intact. With a script full of wit, charm, and clever references that kept both children and adults entertained, along with audience participation and lots of panto action. As musical director, Peter Boyes had his work cut out ensuring that he got the best out of the performers. A good mix of songs with something for everyone. Peter has obviously worked everybody hard to achieve good results and built up confidence. The choreography, fitted in well with the style of the show. Special Mentions

Every single performer is worthy of a mention here, as all played a vital part in this production, so this goes out to each one. You all believed in yourselves, delivered, and played your pantomime parts well, but most importantly, worked well as a team. It was good to see so many young people taking on principal roles. The villagers Alex Bradford, Alice Fish, Emily Foxton, Rachel Gonsalves, Daisy Graham, Silvie Head and Abigail Maltas threw themselves wholeheartedly into their various characters. Trotsky was lovingly played by Julie Birmingham & Rachel de Luca, who maneuvered their way well despite the tight confines of the limited space. Daisy Graham as Britney and Alice Fish as Whitney gave strong performances with bags and bags of attitude. They made a formidable pairing. A surprise performance came from Alex Bradford, who not only looked like Claudia but had all the mannerisms walk and just simply was Claudia! Emily Foxton gave a lovely, demure performance as Rosie. Sonny Graham as Tock, along with Freddie Brooks as Tick, made a great double act. Confident and obviously enjoying every challenge. The master of ceremonies was confidently portrayed by Silvie Head with a good understanding of character. Baron Hardup was in the safe hands of Andrew Charles, who delivered the tricky word twists with ease. Good Fairy/Fairy Godmother Janine Head sparkled and exhibited a beautifully measured portrayal with all the determination and character that you would expect from a good fairy. Bad Fairy/Countess Morticia, Chantelle Brooks, was a true force to be reckoned with. Her expressive use of her fingers and hand gestures were hypnotising. Chantelle dominated and had great stage presence, with her performance drawing numerous boos and hisses. Sasha Paylor and Sophie Dankin, as Prince Charming and Dandini, contrasted nicely in their traditional roles, giving royal performances. With confident and stylish stances and moves, along with plenty of traditional principal thigh slaps, they made the roles their own. Leo Mercer made an excellent Buttons. He burst onto the stage with a confidence and determination to have fun. After a slightly nervous, hesitant start, he soon relaxed into this iconic role. Leo handled the audience's unexpected shout-outs well but kept the pantomime moving. His cheeky smile was infectious, and the audience couldn’t help but warm to his lovely demeanour, so he soon had everyone on his side. Buttons had a great rapport with Cinderella, which is so important in this story. In the title role of Cinderella, Liz Gonzalez was perfectly “at home”. Cinderella has got to be every little girl’s “dream” character, and Liz certainly did this part justice. Liz was confident and understood the part well. A lovely principal girl with a warm manner as Cinders and an elegant Princess Crystal. Her lovely emotional performance of Over the Rainbow was a highlight of the panto. Last but by no means least, the Ugly Sisters. What is a Cinderella panto without them? They can make or break this panto, and they certainly made this one. Chris Binns as Verruka and Dave Harris as Hernia are surely the ugliest, meanest, outrageous sisters ever. Together they owned the performance, had the vibe, and brought good humour. What a crazy double act. This is the stuff that nightmares are made of, but there was always a great sense of fun. This Gruesome Twosome took squabbling and selfishness to an extreme level. The audience hated yet loved them in equal measure. “Nothing Like. A Man” was not only clever but was downright hilarious. This was indeed a happy pantomime, and all cast members were clearly enjoying themselves. This is essential for the success of any pantomime, as it is this uninhibited enjoyment that communicates itself to the audience and draws them into the performance. Well done for nurturing young members and providing a valuable performance opportunity in the community. 

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