Bright and delightfully exaggerated, with a smattering of panto strewn throughout, this is a fun, modern take on the classic fairytale of Cinderella. Featuring a nine-strong cast, catchy songs from Jon Beales, and a very sparkly pair of Converse, the tale moves at a fast pace as we follow our heroine from sadness to love. This adaptation by Sally Cookson and Adam Peck harks back to some of Grimm’s original tale, with a flock of birds that help Cinderella find a way to escape from her challenges.
Puppetry threads its way through the show: from our first introduction to the birds, we meet the companions that will become so important to Cinderella, endearingly portrayed by Olivia Hemmati. Having her father also the lead bird, a warm and gentle portrayal from Richard Conlon, makes for some wonderfully touching moments between Cinderella and her father, as we see how the natural world looks out for this force of nature herself.
Jemima Levick’s direction, EJ Boyle’s choreography and Matthew Forbes’ puppetry complement each other well, harking back to the old Hollywood movies where the story seamless moves into a song and dance routine. The music is a wonderful counterpart to the storytelling, with sharp scene framing within the dance routines which bring key moments out. The whole cast are strong, but Nicole Cooper steals a few scenes with the evil stepmother glint in her eyes as she plots world domination at every turn. There are laugh out moments as she storms around and her children, the funny Christina Gordon and Matthew Forbes, make the most of it as they either agree with her or run from her, whichever is expedient at the time. This sets the scene for a both familiar, but different take on the ugly sisters when they reach the ball. It is a whirlwind of colour and dance, led with verve by Carly Anderson’s Queen, a quirky figure who commands with presence.
In typical panto style, finding the owner of the missing shoe left behind after the ball, is a hilarious foray into the audience and their feet. The silly commentary from Sam Stopford’s Prince has the little ones – and not so little ones - in the audience giggling away. The famous attempt at fitting feet in the shoe when the Prince reaches Cinderella’s is aptly gruesome, with every moment of the scene milked to full effect. We are ready for the moment the shoe fits and that warm glow which comes from a happy ending.
Show Time: 10 -12, 14, 16-18, 21, 28 Dec @ 6pm; 13, 20, 22-23, 26-27, 29-30 Dec, 2-3 Jan @ 7pm; 14, 21, 28 Dec @ 1pm; 13, 20, 22-24, 26-27, 29-31 Dec, 2-3 Jan @ 2pm (no performances 25 Dec, 1 Jan
Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh
Ticket Prices: £10-£38
https://lyceum.org.uk/events/cinderella-a-fairytale
Age: Most suitable for 5+
Running time: Approx 2 hours including interval
Accessibility: Contains a scene with comic violence and blood. Please ask staff if you require more information. Captioned performances: 11 Dec @ 6pm, 28 Dec @ 1pm; Relaxed performances: 17 Dec @ 6pm, 3 Jan @ 2pm; BSL interpreted performances: 20 Dec @ 7pm, 27 Dec @ 2pm; Audio Described, Touch Tours: 21 Dec @ 1pm, 30 Dec @ 7pm
For School Performances: https://lyceum.org.uk/take-part/schools/schools-performances/cinderella-schools-performances