Cinderella

Pantomime at the Burnley Mechanics at the opening of each year is something of an institution and it is always a pleasure to throw oneself wholeheartedly into the heady atmosphere of family fun, music, colourful antics and lively entertainment. The professional sheen that Burnley Pantomime Society always gives to a production was evident again with ‘Cinderella’ and a packed house awaited curtain up with a buzz of anticipation. We were not disappointed – the top-notch band; the scenery; the costumes; the enthusiasm from all the performers on stage – all the hallmarks of a Burnley Pantomime Society were in place from the outset.

Louise Young played the title role and was a sweet and charming Cinderella – an early fluff with lines on the evening I attended was well covered and it didn’t knock her off her stride – and was the very picture of innocence as the put upon heroine of the piece. Her two ugly sisters, Gertrude and Grizelda (Kevin Kay and Jonathan Pye) were firm favourites with the audience, young and old alike and brought a cheeky blast of energy to the stage with their every appearance. As always, the range of outrageous outfits worn by this comical pair - wigs, make-up and costumes – grew wilder and more extravagant as the show progressed with Kevin and Jonathan clearly enjoying every moment: that kind of enthusiasm is infectious and spreads through the audience. Sam Parker excelled as Buttons, really throwing himself into the role and was a great asset to the production – his easy charm and command of the stage was great to see. Dave Pilkington and Kath Watkins made a super team as the warring Baron and Baroness: two superb and experienced players who are an asset to any production. Laura Chadwick’s benevolent Fairy was a picture of grace and charm, and Gary Leonard gave great value as the pompous Prince. It was interesting to see how both Laura and Gary had really settled into their panto alter egos and how far they had developed them from last year. Wayne Brankin was a refreshingly down to earth Dandini and extra comic tomfoolery came from Pete Morville and Regan Kerr as Bodgett and Leggett, the customary odd-job men with plenty of very odd jobs to delight the audience with. This was young Regan’s first principal role and he performed with great comic skill and ability and having been a member of the society for some years, it comes as a refreshing example of the way the society nurtures its upcoming talent and fosters an almost family atmosphere. Ever-present and always my favourite character in any pantomime, the horse was expertly handled and brought to life by Emily Hodgeson and Bethan Whittaker.

With a range of top quality costumes on display, added to the equally colourful scenery and staging, the audience were treated to a bright and bouncy evening which fairly rattled along in technicolour! The music was first rate and Jonathan Chalker’s fine band really added a professional polish to the glitz and glamour of the evening. First rate choreography throughout  - I was particularly impressed with the hunting scene – and a very enthusiastic cast of chorus and dancers who really threw themselves into proceedings all made for a production which looked and sounded fantastic. I did feel however that some parts of the show felt slightly rushed, with some exchanges and routines having an air of ‘let’s get this over and done with’. Perhaps the tiring pantomime schedule had affected the patience of the cast - pantomime is after all a fairly punishing discipline and I did view the performance later on the run - and I certainly felt that it showed on stage from time to time. Nevertheless, this was family entertainment with lots of variety, which demonstrated some excellent touches and which left a large audience thoroughly satisfied.

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