Cinderella – Gladstone Theatre

It’s that time of year again… oh yes, it is! And Dreamworld Entertainment returned for the nineth year with a fabulous Cinderella, to a full house of laughter and appreciation.

Everyone loves a panto with its upbeat songs, glittery costumes, corny jokes and audience participation and this has it all in abundance.  Director Laura Newnes and Choreographer Jamie-Leigh Christian, also producers, have assembled a tight professional cast and slick technical team to give us the wow factor and a jolly good entertainment.

We all know the story, but writer Fortina Stone gives us a little bit extra with an amusing dynamic between the Prince and Dandini (who frankly are usually a bit wet) as well as all the usual slapstick and “it’s behind you” we come to expect.  Some excellent singing and dancing from the whole ensemble including the youngsters from the theatre school who keep pace with the professionals.

The cast, made up of northern based performers who have appeared on TV and national professional stages give us plenty of laughs. The high energy is supplied by Lewis Pryor’s Buttons, who’s scouse Cheeky-Chappy is a great link man to the audience. Pryor can sing, dance and provides great physicality.  Buttons is in love with Cinders played by Charlie Matthews who looks the part beautifully and has a strong  singing voice. Alex Patmore’s Prince Charming has a kind of ‘Prince Charles’ vibe about him and has some great scenes with sidekick Dandini (Connor Barrie) who was deliciously camp and funny. The talented Jenna Sian O’Hara gives a great Mrs. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo   – the fairy Godmother and opposite her the wicked Stepmother gives us plenty to Boo about with Amber Porter’s nasty and scheming character.

But Cinderella would be nothing without the ugly sisters, all huggy-huggy kissy-kissy, who give us visual comedy with way-out costumes and jokes for the family, as well as a few just for the adults. Shania Pain brings their Boxtoxia with a splash of gaudy glamour and a few hints of their powerhouse voice (would have liked a little more) and Darren John Langford’s Colonica provides some earthy humour and saucy asides.

The technical team bring out all the bells and whistles providing some amazing lighting, designed by Nathan Storm, and the stage crew managed to get an elaborate set on the stage making it seem bigger than ever. Some sharp, slick scene changes – the coach transformation was a triumph!

The show was a tad long, especially for young families, so maybe there’s a bit of tightening up to look at or the loss of a song somewhere.  The music occasionally was too loud and some of the lyrics were lost. I found I couldn’t hear the words from Cinderella and Colonica a few times but that can be adjusted.  Some of the lines the audience had to remember to shout out weren’t memorable enough and didn’t get the intended response so it kind of fell a bit flat, but every audience is different.

All in all, this was a really enjoyable show and it was encouraging to see so many youngsters in the audience. Local families had come out for a great evening’s entertainment and that’s exactly what they got.  Seeing all the children engaging and dancing in the isles gives us hope for the future of theatre. The pantomime is usually their first experience of live performance and if they enjoy it, they’ll come back for more.  This will certainly be a great Christmas memory for them and well worth a visit this festive season. –

Oh yes, it is!  So, hurry as tickets selling fast.  it runs until New Years Eve. Booking details on their website.  www.gladstonetheatre.org.uk

Reviewer: Bev Clark

Reviewed: 8th December 2024

North West End UK Rating: