Taking your seat in this historic theatre you can’t help reflecting that for the local mill workers who made this city rich a festive trip to the panto must have been a real treat, and this old school spectacular with a modern sensibility proved to be just that.
Unlike other pantos that often push the boundaries of good taste this is very much a family show, so grannies and the little kids being carried into the venue can all share some good clean fun. Cinderella is a no expense spared panto from Britain’s biggest festive producers that starts with Strictly star John Waite flying down onto Ian Westbrook’s big set. The hard working cast then gleefully go over the top from there with daft jokes aplenty, flamboyant costumes, energetic dancers, pyrotechnics, a couple of real Shetland ponies surreally pulling a carriage across the stage and a quite spectacular effect that ends the first act.
Their secret weapon is comic Billy Pearce who is on his 23rd season at the Alhambra, and for a localish lad who started his career way back in 1970 his energy levels are staggering, and not surprisingly he really knows how to work this audience who clearly love him. The skills of this consummate all round entertainer that he learned the hard way in local clubs are a perfect fit for this most British of theatrical experiences, and his Buttons is full of cheeky banter, a few naughty ad libs, plenty of corny gags, plus he’s a solid singer to boot. There’s some delicious ad libbing with kids from the audience, and it was a joy to watch a master of this genre at work. He’s already booked for next year…oh yes, he is.
This is one of those pantos that employs star names, and all the shenanigans in Emmerdale just up the road should have prepared soap legend Samantha Giles for all the onstage madness. It did – sort of – as she was wonderfully evil as Cinderella’s stepmother earning hearty boos every time she appeared, and was often thrown by Billy’s adlibs, but fired back smartly to get some big laughs. She even had a quite wonderful faux par on one of the tongue twisters in Harry Michaels’ very traditional script that only seemed to serve as a rough guide for the cast.
Bake Off champ John Waite as the Faerie Godfather was the wildcard booking, but to his credit he pulled off all his dance moves proving to be a solid actor and a decent singer. He was another thrown by the adlibs, but he gamely held his own adding to the onstage chaos and corpsing that adds magic to any panto.
This is a well oiled machine with Ed Curtis at the helm of this local production for 11 seasons, so credit to him for making his Cinderella a career woman, and his Prince Charming a royal unsure of his right to rule. Newcomer Sarah Pearson was a spirited Cinders belting out her numbers, including a splendid version of Downtown with hyper localised lyrics, and matched by Dale Mathurin’s powerful vocal on the lovelorn Prince’s Somebody To Love that reverberated round the building
And if all that wasn’t enough world class magician Phil Hitchcock joined the cast as Baron Hardup with some specially designed effects to amaze the audience who were still left wondering how he did them as they left the auditorium. Back once again after a four year break are The Sunbeams to continue an Alhambra tradition that started in 1930. Our bright Sunbeams are from Sara Packham Theatre School taking their well earned place in a long roll call of young local talent dating back nearly a century.
A minor quibble was not enough call and responses in act one as this tradition really gets the kids going, and a couple of the big set pieces went on a bit too long for younger panto fans, and older ones. Oh yes, they did.
The history of pantomime is littered with Dames and performers who have become legends and Billy Pearce has earned his place in that pantheon of all-time greats. Panto is often a child’s first experience of theatre’s unique magic, and this warm hearted extravaganza is a great introduction to daftness and the power of laughter in dark times. Oh yes, it is!
Cinderella is at Bradford Alhambra until Sunday 21st January 2024. To book www.bradford-theatres.com or 01274 432000.
Reviewer: Paul Clarke
Reviewed: 12th December 2023
North West End UK Rating: