REVIEW | Cinderella, Nottingham Playhouse
 |
Photo Credit: Pamela Raith |
★★★★★
The days are truly full speed ahead towards Christmas! It’s still my favourite season of the year and more so when we can enjoy a traditional British pantomime from the comfort of our home. Nottingham Playhouse is like many theatres across the country who have their plans scrapped thanks to the new tier system in the UK. Back from a fantastic run of Sleeping Beauty last year, the Nottingham Playhouse have this year brought Cinderella to life.
With the restrictions in force, the Nottingham team thought ahead and managed to record their production before the doors closed again on the theatre. Their production is a high quality, joyous show for the entire family.
This production of Cinderella is certainly going to bring some much-needed joy this festive season. This pantomime does a superb job at jam-packing all you need for a good show; cheerful musical numbers, great fun, sparkling costumes, and a great storyline. There’s something for everyone to enjoy. What I loved about this production the most was that it was filmed entirely on stage, the magic of pantomime felt incredibly real even if we weren’t there in the flesh to enjoy it.
Cinderella has been specifically adapted to ensure a safe, comfortable and magical experience. Although the cast are socially-distanced through the show, it really doesn’t distract you from the storyline and works effectively well. The only thing really “lost” from this pantomime is a dancing chorus.
The Playhouse cast are stellar in their delivery of this much-loved fairytale. The performances of the evening definitely come from the Ugly Step Sisters. Tom Hopcroft (Kylie) and John Elkington (Kourtney) are a spectacular duo of laughs and are dressed in elaborate costumes that will put the biggest names in fashion to shame. Their performances delivered huge belly laughs, I loved them both!
A stellar cast filters through to the rest with Tim Frater returning to the Playhouse as Buttons this Christmas. He delivers a fun performance as always! What helps him deliver a fantastic performance is the help of bouncing off an audience – something which can be lost through digital productions.
Jessica Leigh (Dandini), David Albury (Prince), Gabrielle Brooks (Cinderella) and Sara Poyzer (Fairy Godmother/Baroness Kim) are a joyous cast who fill the void of a chorus in the show. Brooks is a superb Cinderella with gorgeous vocals to match. Brooks’ character has a great way of portraying the great relationship between her and Buttons. I loved Poyzer’s transition between the evil Baroness and light Godmother roles.
 |
| Photo Credit: Pamela Raith |
Nottingham Playhouse have done an incredible job at pursuing the magic of pantomime after a year of darkness in theatre. They brought the theatre to life in a time where everyone needs to experience the joy the stage can bring.
I’d definitely recommend you experience Cinderella for your family this festive season.
This production, as well as Jack and the Beanstalk are being offered on an On Demand service. You can rent their recorded version of each version and have 5 day access to enjoy it at your family’s pleasure. You can find out more by heading over to the Nottingham Playhouse website.