Cinderella
Written by Alex Jackson
Louth Playgoers
The Riverhead Theatre Louth
6 - 15 January 2023
On a cold, damp, January night visiting Louth's Riverhead Theatre to see their latest offering, the annual pantomime is like an injection of pure joy, guaranteed to cheer the most miserable and cynical of us suffering from the January Blues. Director Jamie Harris is back at the helm this year, ably assisted by his Assistant Director Gary Starkie after their triumphant staging of the one-woman show, Tell Me On a Sunday recently. Together, they present Alex Jackson's re-telling of Cinderella, a beautifully vibrant and colourful traditional panto to appeal to it's family audience.
I doubt that there is any need to re-count the story of Cinders, but all the traditional elements you would expect to find are present and correct. Her Godmother is a Fairy, her best friend is Buttons, her sisters are Ugly, her step-mum is evil, the footman Dandini is dashing, and the Prince is most Charming. What more could you ask for?
As is traditional, the Playgoers are also joined by the wonderful dancers of Studio 2000 choreographed by Nicola Wright and Chloe Goldby. Their blend of elegance and vivacity always add to the spectacle of the panto, and this show is no exception. The vibrant dancers bring energy and enthusiasm to every routine, with dazzling smiles and in the case of the youngest performers, the definitive "Aww... Factor". I love watching them and all they bring to these shows.
Musical support is provided by last year's panto villain, Stuart Spendlow (2022's Captain Hook) who provides drums, keyboards and live effects throughout the show. And the music is just one feature that is top notch throughout. The cast is awash with fantastic musical theatre performers and each take their moment in the spotlight o demonstrate just how impressive their vocal talents are. They provided one of the best shows, vocally, I have heard at the Riverhead in some time.
The set design and construction is the work of Bob Booth and his team of assistant who have created a wonderful fairytale landscape that is know as Pumpkinville. We are transported to a land far, far away and our cynicism and disbelief is suspended for the duration of this delightful show thanks to the carefully constructed sets and wonderfully painted and lit backgrounds on display.
The cast is made up of many very familiar faces at the Riverhead. The first cast member to greet the audience is the slightly ditzy Fairy Godmother, played by Natasha Connor. She rewards Cinderella for her unwarranted acts of kindness by ensuring that she has the perfect means to attend "The Ball" which is so central to the story. Connor's strong singing voice only adds to her effective characterisation and with an illuminated gown, she really does look like a kindly Fairy.
The titular role of Cinderella goes to Felicity Warren, who personifies sweetness and sincerity in her performance. Warren also has an impressive singing voice, as do all the Principals, and she really excels when emoting through her big ballads, or the slightly softer songs. The kids present in the audience really did adore her and were clearly rooting for her. There was even an audible gasp when the Prince finally went down on one knee and proposed to her. She was note perfect in her portrayal.
Her father, Baron Hardup, was played by Assistant Director Gary Starkie. Starkie has a wonderfully rich, velvety singing voice that really came to the fore in his duet with Natasha Connor as they sang Tomorrow from Annie, a show with which Starkie is very familiar having played the avuncular Daddy Warbucks on that very stage a few years ago. Starkie brought wit and warmth to his performance and his comic chops certainly shone through too.
The comic relief was, as expected, provided by Philip Marshal Jr, hot off his directing debut with this year's production of The Railway Children. His presence is always guaranteed to raise a smile, as his larger than life persona sells daft joke after daft joke. His self-deprecating sense of humour suggests that he was not doing well, "I may not have been born in Louth, but I feel like I'm dying here..." In reality, he is very funny on stage and knows how to play to the gallery, creating a sympathetic, silly and funny Buttons that the audience love.
The Ugly Sisters double act were Kim and Chloe, but these were no Kardshians. Georgia Pearson and Izzy Bunten were hilarious in their respective roles, they are both fantastic individual performers in their own right, but they gelled together so well as a double act. The humour was very silly and their grotesque facial expressions are wonderfully over the top. I loved watching them, and it only added that both are great singers and dancers too.
Their hideous mother, Cinderella's nemesis, was Baroness Hardup - Cinders' new step mother - only concerned with self-advancement and demeaning the Baron's true offspring. Ian Cahill absolutely relished the role, it was so clear. Less traditional "Panto Dame" and slightly more "Ru Paul's Drag Race", his performance was slimy, and flesh-creepingly evil. He can afford to get even bigger in his portrayal, as the audience really wanted to hiss and boo "her" on stage!
The royal element in this show was provided by Prince Charming and his manservant, Dandini. The exquisitely regal, Sophie J Grundy-Holmes was perfect as Prince Charming, cutting a dashingly tall figure that all fall for and vie for his affection. And yet he is a little bored when we first meet him, and he swaps places with his companion, the effervescent Alice Murray, who is in sparkling form, as Dandini.
Both Grundy-Holmes and Murray are wonderful singers, but it is Murray's rendition of Olly Murs' Dance With Me Tonight, that opens up Act Two, is a bit of a showstopper performance. The royal pair really get the audience going as they lead the ensemble through Queen's Don't Stop Me Now.
The principal cast are ably supported throughout by both the adult and children's choruses. Michelle Browne, India Cooney, Jade Fraser, Joanne Jones, Cheryl Lamming, Neil McPhee, Carol Skill, Xenca Watson, Amelia Browne, Evie Browne, Ruby Browne, Martha Evans, Eloise Hopkinson, Phoebe Lamming, Matha Webster, Nancy Carter, Nevey Carter, Annie Corbutt-Bennet, Maisie Evison, Archie Farr and Halle O'Hare give their all as the many and varied village inhabitants and an array of woodland creatures.
This show is guaranteed to cheer its audience and runs from 06 January to 15 January 2023 (with no performances 9 or 10 January) and tickets can be booked in advance online or through the theatre's box office. Details are on the poster below. Don't miss this (Prince) "Charming" show.
Andy Evans 06 January 2023
Comments