Cinderella

This production opened with real pace with a large-ish chorus smiling and moving well to an upbeat number.  This was just the warm up for an excellent dancing Hagan the Horse (Caroline White and Kirsty Harrison) and then led in to the main principals as is panto norm.

Buttons (George Coubrough) and Cinderella (Hannah Bacon) were very likeable and the audience took to them straight away. Tilly Binns as Prince Charming and Bethany Peart-Hunter (Dandini) were also a good pairing.

Then on came the Ugly Sisters, Grizelda, played by David Cameron, and Gertrude, performed in his usual style by Ian Thompson.  They were very funny and the costumes wonderful (in fact all costumes were super).

Any show needs good back up performers and here we had Phil Wilson and Margaret Lupton (Baron and Baroness Hardup), Becky Drage and Pauline as Bodgett and Leggett (village idiot builders) and Lesley Bielby as the Fairy Godmother.

The script was very traditional and not too long but I did think that the production lost a bit of pace towards the end of the first half.  Some of the cast were rushing their lines as well which made it difficult for a number of the gags to be fully appreciated.  Perhaps the prompter had to work a little hard as well!

The musical numbers were well choreographed, the set was ideal and the piano and drums accompaniment just right.

I didn’t see any unsmiling faces as I left!

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