I went to see the production of Cinderella at the Shaw Theatre on 8th December.
And Will, the ushers, the bar team and the box office are friendly and helpful.
This is a small intimate theatre next to Kings Cross Station. This is amazing show that entertains and delivers fun for all the family, from tots to seniors. There are cute kids and lovely dance routines. As the prince is William Tippery, and he is too handsome for words, looking the part of a total hero. The ugly sisters, Ivanka and Ivana (Paul Lawrence Thomas and Nathan Kiley), are ‘a pair of mingers’ who steal the show with their vibrant brash costumes and their snarky words. Cinderella is Hollie Swain and she is perfect as a sweet natured heroine who evolves to stand up to her horrible step sisters, Buttons is Matthew Curnier, a genius at audience interaction. As the Fairy Godmother is Kelli Young and she is brilliant as a ditzy fairy who can really sing. A lot of jokes for children, the occasional double entendre for adults, sparkly costumes and beautiful sets, great singing, audience interaction, nasty dames, and a pantomime pony. This Cinderella has everything I want in a family friendly Panto. With my own especial favourites being Matthew Curnier (a simply brilliant Buttons), Paul-Lawrence-Thomas and Nathan Kiley (uproariously arrogant and ignorant Ugly Sisters), Hollie Swain (who managed to make her Cinderella into an utterly appealing and real-seeming girl - usually not the case) and William Tippery (a Prince Charming for once deserving of the name, managing to be both adorable and just a bit ironic at the same time). absolutely through to the audience's last glimpse of the performers. The short version: once the highly accomplished and throughly enchanting Kelli Young first (puff!) appeared, setting everything into motion, my friend and I found ourselves turning to each other every few minutes, pure delight on our faces, grinning continually in uncritical appreciation as we never have before. and decided to make it one of this year's pair. Sticking pretty much to the classics ("Dick", "Cinderella", "Aladdin", "Snow White," "Jack," Puss"), while sampling a wide range of theatres, styles and approaches, we've traveled the city's compass points and even beyond. And that, over time, we began indulging ourselves to the extent of picking two different productions to experience annually, not just one. It also needs, here, to be said that a good friend and I have been "panto pals" - as we call ourselves - for at least twenty years now. Creatively conceived and executed - with so much warmth, charm and good humour - this "Cinderella" is now to be the gold standard by which I'll judge every future panto I attend.
Rollicking along, with neither a boring moment nor an uncharismatic player, it benefits equally from a tight, simple vision completely at the service of the classic goings-on ups on stage.
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