Cinderella, Derby Arena Review
Written by Sam for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
This production of Cinderella has been produced by Alan Bowles and Morgan Brind for Little Wolf Entertainment and Derby Live. Directed by Mark Chatterton, this adaptation brings you twists and unexpected, delightful turns as it doesn’t follow the exact traditional story that we all know and love. You are certainly in for a wicked treat and will still see some of your favourite characters i.e. Buttons (Kristian Cunningham).
The show came to life as soon as we were graced by our two Dames, Ugly Sister (Morgan Brind) and Ugly Sister (Roddy Peters). The audience seemed to warm to them, probably because they were wearing the most outrageous costumes and quite startling wigs. They were a sight for sore eyes and had us laughing many times. Sorry, of course, what I mean is that they were wearing outfits that would woo the nation with hairstyles that every woman wants. Tie your men down ladies and gents, you might lose them after meeting these two queens.
With this pantomime, there were a lot of Derbyshire references and mentions of known brands like H&M which I think worked well. Yes, pantomimes are usually tailored for the area it’s being performed in, but I genuinely thought the links to the city and surrounding towns, the jokes, Derbyshire phrases and accents made it even more heartwarming. It was nice to see where we live being represented in so many ways and Mina Anwar fully embraced the local dialect – int that right me duck.
The music, directed by Livs Needham and Dave Culling will have you tapping your heels as you will recognise all the songs featured. There are modern day classics from Chappel Roan as well as disco dancing favourites from ABBA. Ella (Lucy Munden) has the gentlest and most powerful voice in the cast. Her rendition of ‘A Moment Like This’ felt like a finale performance as she gave it her absolute all, similar to the power and strength Leona Lewis gave during the X Factor final in 2006. It was beautiful to watch.
The scenery, props and costumes made this pantomime sparkle. Everything about it was aesthetically pleasing to look at (yes, even the Dames) and had the audience gasping once the carriage arrived on stage. I refuse to write any spoilers because it was one of my favourite scenes, it was truly magical and very clever.
In order for a pantomime to achieve its fullest potential, audience participation is a must. The performance I attended unfortunately lacked this and I believe this made it harder for the cast to fully engage with the audience therefore, the show had limited improv opportunities. In my opinion and experience, improv always makes a pantomime better because it is so random and inevitably funnier. At times, certain cast members had to repeat themselves to try and gear up the audience but sadly, they didn’t join in no matter how hard the cast tried, and it dragged out the show overall. I felt this spoilt the delivery of lines and/or jokes and wasn’t as fast-paced or quick-witted as it could have been.
There were a few technical issues during this performance (sound and scenery), but I think the cast handled it well, especially Cunningham. Any hiccups that occurred while he was on stage, he turned them into an improvised sketch and made jokes about the situation which for me, is what panto is all about. His quick reaction to the issues experienced, especially when the scene changes didn’t quite go to plan, prevented it from being an issue overall.
Remember, when you’re going to any pantomime, please join in, it’s vital. You’ll have the best time if you’re egging the cast on and giving them a boost. With that in mind, if you are looking for a fun and family-friendly pantomime with adult humour which turns into a party at the end, you can get your invitation to the Prince’s ball until 31 December by purchasing a ticket here.
★★★.5
