Enjoying the great British tradition of pantomime is a surefire way to immerse yourself in the Christmas spirit. ‘Cinderella’ maintains the excellent annual run of pantos at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley. It features a fabulously talented cast that provides laughs and entertainment aplenty for all the family.
Happy go lucky Cinderella (Tia Gyngell) is kept in a life of subservience by her wicked step-sisters Hernia (Darren Bennett) and Verruca (Jak Allen-Anderson). Her father Baron Hardup (John Kimmons) is too busy with his sideline in ventriloquism to notice that his nasty daughters are making Cinderella’s life a misery. But when Prince Charming (Tom Dickerson) comes to town with his serving man Dandini (Barry O’Reilly), they swap places so that the royal can mingle amongst the villagers. He’s looking to meet a woman who can appreciate him for who he is, rather than for his position and privilege, and Cinderalla fits this requirement like a slipper. Naturally, when he throws a ball at the palace, the ugly sisters are determined to woo the prince, get on the invitation list, and more importantly, keep Cinderella off it. But with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother and best friend Buttons rooting for her, surely there’ll be a happy-ever-after ending!
Following in the great tradition of pantos, the plot doesn’t matter too much. ‘Cinderella’ loosely follows the main points of the fairytale, but also offers the audience plenty of vignettes to allow every member of the cast their moments to shine. The end result is a fast-paced, witty and relentlessly engaging variety show. ‘Cinderella’ opens with ‘The X-Factor’s Brenda Edwards in full song as the Fairy Godmother introduces the world of the story to the audience. A singer of her talent and experience immediately has the audience on side, and we get to hear more of Edwards’ excellent vocal talents later in the show.
Playing Buttons, the young man in love with Cinderella, is Steven Dalziel. He’s tasked with ensuring that all of the children are having a great time, which is perhaps the most exhausting and rewarding job – but he does it splendidly throughout. His exaggerated physical performance and natural affability ensure that the moment he shouts, “Hiya, kids!”, he has every young member of the audience enraptured.
Our favourite scenes showcased John Kimmons’ abilities as a ventriloquist. In the first, he improvises with a dummy. The second, which required some audience participation, had the whole house in stitches and is best enjoyed as a surprise.
No panto would be complete without a lashing of boo-hiss villainy, and ‘Cinderella’ offers up a delightful double act of mischief in the form of Darren Bennett and Jak Allen-Anderson as the ugly sisters. They are well-cast, as even their physical presence – Bennett shorter and older, Allen-Anderson tall and built like a beanpole, is immediately funny in its incongruence. Their increasingly lavish costumes are all part of the charm, as are their withering put-downs and acidic one-liners.
Amongst all of the larger-than-life entertainment, the two leading actors succeed in grounding the story and providing an element of heartfelt romance. In one hilarious performance of Bryan Adams’ ‘I Do it For You’, their duet is interrupted by the lovesick Buttons, resulting in well-executed pratfalls. Tom Dickerson and Barry O’Reilly later prove they’re adept at physical comedy too, with a perfectly-timed sing-song with props. In one jaw-droopingly spectacular moment, Cinderella is whisked off to the ball in a flying pumpkin carriage that hovers above the audience. In that moment, Tia Gyngell is transformed into a real princess, and we’re rooting for her to find her prince.
This ‘Cinderella’ never falls back on the tried and tested, but is packed with creative sparkle and an abundance of wow-factor. Pumpkins tap-dancing as the Fairy Godmother casts her spell is one dazzling moment of invention that is sure to leave children talking about it long afterwards. The book also has double-entendres to amuse the adults (without ever overstepping the mark), and loads of groan-worthy puns that everyone secretly loves. The pace is frantic, the performers are on top of their material, and the show is a fresh twist on a classic that nevertheless retains its traditions. We loved ‘Cinderella’ from start to finish. There’s fun for everyone in this heartwarming, chuckle-inducing family favourite.
Cast: Brenda Edwards, John Kimmons, Steven Dalziel, Tia Gyngell, Darren Bennett, Jak Allen-Anderson, Tom Dickerson, Barry O’Reilly Writer: Alan McHugh Director: Andrew Ryan Running time: 130 mins Theatre: The Churchill, Bromley, Dates: 2nd – 31st December 2023 Book tickets for Cinderella
