Sinderella

Cinderella lives with her two horrible stepsisters who force her to do unspeakable things for them. With her best friend Sluttons by her side, she dreams of a happily ever after. Prince Charming, desperate to meet the girl of his dreams, holds a ball inviting every maiden in the land. With a little touch of magical intervention from the Head Fairy, all of Cinderella's dreams could come true.  

With a small cast of just 7 performers, Theats’ cast of Sinderella were able to put on a magically filthy show! Jennie Lovell as Fairy Hanny engaged brilliantly with the audience, keeping her performance demure, even when her language was not quite so! Jack Ebsworth as Sluttons kept the audience entertained throughout and was quick with his adlibs whenever the audience were vocal. Sluttons and Cinderella (Michaela Clement-Hayes) had a lovely friendship, making the audience feel sorry for Sluttons when Cinderella won’t marry him. Heather Bambridge as Prince Charming provided great vocals in ‘Disco Inferno’ backed up by the rest of the cast in a very comical number. Her portrayal of the prince was understated and complemented Abbie Hales as Dandini. Although put off at times, (especially by the audience members returning late for Act Two), Abbie and Jack worked well together to resume the pace of the pantomime, keeping spirits high both on stage and with the audience. Everyone on stage provided excellent entertainment however, Will Barr and Josh Bambridge as Fanny and Danni (the beautifully ugly step-sisters) stole the show. Their make up, costumes, mannerisms and facial expressions had the audience laughing all the time they were on stage. They had the audience in the palm of their hands with their wit and quick comebacks. 

Peter Darnell provided excellent direction and vision for Sinderella. The lack of scenery encouraged the audience to use their imagination and was included in the jokes. I particularly liked the use of a shopping trolley as Cinderella’s carriage to the ball. The characters’ lines were delivered with conviction and even though it was full of filthy jokes, the cast ensured they were delivered in a way that the punch lines weren’t thrown away. Although it was an adult pantomime, it was done tastefully and was not crude. Peter also provided the costumes which were well thought out for each character and were appropriate for the genre of the pantomime. 

Michael Graves provided the sound and lighting. The sound effects enhanced the performance however, with the venue being small and microphones not being used, some of the backing tracks for the musical numbers drowned out the singing on stage which was a shame as I know the vocals being provided were excellent. The lighting was dynamic and provided an extra layer to the atmosphere of the performance.  

Thank you for the warm welcome provided by Bonkers Playhouse, as always. 

It was a really enjoyable evening which was reflected, I feel, in how the audience reacted and participated throughout with lots of energy. Well done to all involved. 

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