Your regular pantomimes already come packed with beloved characters, popular music, and hilarity. Now give it a desi twist, and you have more colours, hip shaking, and drama than Bollywood itself can dish out.
Written by Pravesh Kumar and directed by Ameet Chana, this is a bold new panto with lashings of South Asian flavour. As the name suggests, Surinderella is a retelling of Cinderella and when it comes to adding that desi-ness, the makers do not hold back.
Surinder (Sonya Venugopal) lives on the edge of the Bolly Woods with her stepsisters Lovely and Bubbly, and her emotional support livestock and best friend, Basanti the cow. In the stepsisters we have our pantomime dames, played with sass and style by Neil Varu and Raheem Payne, whose crowd work and shenanigans were consistently appreciated. The sisters are on a mission to find fame on social media and of course, find rich husbands.
Enter Prince Kavi (Rory Dulku), who laments his lot – you know, having no say in his own life, being forced into an arranged marriage, and so on – to his aide and confidante, Bubloo (Dhruv Ravi). Keeping an eye on all the goings-on and helping out Surinder with fairy dust is her Devi Godmother (Bhavini Sheth).
The panto leans heavily on references to Hindi films from the 1970s onwards. Basanti the cow is named after the heroine of one of the most iconic Bollywood movies, Sholay. Surinder recalls that in her childhood, the bogeyman that her father scared her with was Mogambo, the villain of yet another popular flick from the 1980s. Not to mention the many hit songs that have been used through the play.
Choreography by Anna-Maria Barber (to music by PBN) is outstanding. Skirts whirling, high heels clicking – the musical numbers are spirited, and the cast live up to the energy they demand. The Bollywood ball in the palace is a grand event of gold, colours, and swirling skirts – Surinder’s getting an extra glow-up with lights. Production and costume design by Andy Kumar gives the play all the glitter it needs.
As has become common practice with modern retellings of fairytales, Surinderella too does not end with a prince rescuing the maiden in distress. Rather, Surinder and Prince Kavi look at empowering themselves and finding their own feet before building a life together. Surinder doesn’t forsake her sisters and instead encourages them to live independently.
One quotable line from this play that fits our times perfectly is something Bubloo says – maybe kismet will bless your algorithm.
Surinderella runs until 2nd November at Riverside Studios with tickets available at https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/
Reviewer: Savitha Venugopal
Reviewed: 30th October 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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