Cinderella

The safe option. A traditional panto, at a traditional panto theatre, performed by an experienced traditional theatre company albeit with untraditionally climbing ticket prices.

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Firstly, a disclaimer, I have known the star, Dame Sam Rabone for fifteen years and have performed alongside him. He is a friend, however secondly I paid for my own ticket and those of eleven  of my family who accompanied me ( over £350) – so I can say what I want!

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Production values are high, the stage looks good, and the costumes are bright and shiny courtesy of Amy Chamberlain. The ubiquitous carriage for Cinders drawn by a flying horse is a  visual showstopper.

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Sam plays a villainous ugly sister alongside Matt Daines, as Aldianna and ugly sister Liddleena. Cheap, brash and vulgar- it is a bit like walking down Rugley High street…

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There is always a story behind the story of a good panto .  In this case it is  writer and media polymath Paul Hendy, Emily Wood  and Evolution productions who have  multiple  pantomimes running UK  wide simultaneously .Whilst Evolution guarantee a standard, there is plenty of room for local jokes ( the folk of Rugeley do not escape) and topical political gags.   It is Directed by the Garrick’s artistic director and chief executive, Daniel Buckroyd,  who ensures that the corporate safety net of Evolution has enough space in it for a local dimension.

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My party included six children aged three to twelve. They loved it. The first half of the two and a half hour show ( including interval)   was weighted towards jokes for the adults to enjoy- the second half majored on silliness and was all the better for it. Ben Thornton’s Buttons links proceedings and searches for a girlfriend.

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Cinders is Shannon Bourne , innocent and with a fine singing voice Adam Craig,is her dashing Prince ( Rita Coolidge nothing to be scared of).Clarice Julianda as the trainee Fairy Godmother steals the show.

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The daft ghost sequence is still daft. The children laughed their heads off. This is as reliable Christmas fare as Turkey and trimmings and runs until January.

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