The legendary ‘King’s Theatre’ Pantomime, (temporarily staged at the Festival Theatre), once again adapts a favourite fairy tale with a modern Scottified script. Cinderella was first staged at the King’s in 1906 (featuring live ponies pulling the coach), and since then the Christmas-time treat has become a much loved tradition.
The regular trio of panto stars are back together, Allan Stewart as the feisty Faerie May, Grant Stott as the very Wicked Stepmother and Jordan Young as a bright and bouncy Buttons. In Peter Pan acrobatic style, Stewart literally flies onto the stage and the show quickly kicks off with an ensemble number, New Town, a clever reworking of Petula Clark’s Downtown to set the scene in Edinburgh.
Every year Grant Stott is utterly supreme as The Baddy (whoever the villainous character may be) – and here is the tall, buxom, brash Baroness Hibernia Fortuna in a glittering gown and beehive hair-do. She is one nasty lady not to be messed with, barking her sardonic one liners, a flurry of Hibs footie quips, and vicious threats with a deep throaty cackle. Desperate to find a wealthy man (her first two husbands so tragically died of food poisoning, the third suffered a bash on the head), it’s time to meet Baron Harduup, Cinderella’s father.
Jordan Young adds boyish energy to the cheeky chappie, secretly in love with sweet Cinders, as well as enjoying playful banter with the audience, Hiya Pals! Hiya Buttons!. A quick Impersonation sketch by Faerie May reels off the usual suspects, Michael Crawford and Bruce Forsyth from vintage BBC TV programmes - which will mean nothing to the kids.
In a series of quick changing scenes, expect a madcap medley of altered pop song lyrics - a witty, rendition of It’s Raining Men to celebrate the attractions of Fort Kinnaird and All I want for Christmas is … Youth, sung by the indefatigable, 74 year old Stewart, who also high kicks her slender legs in a lively dance contest in Strictly, 'Ah-may-zing' manner. Andy Pickering and his orchestra in the pit keep the music flowing along with boisterous beat and lively tempo.
Sparkling throughout are all the elaborate costumes which become increasingly outrageous, such as Hibernia’s black and yellow Waspish frock (illustrated above). Her aptly named, equally nasty daughters, Vindicta and Manipulata are like peas in a pod as they prance about in curly ringlets and bright puffball frocks.
The story of Cinderella is trimmed down to bare essentials: the poor girl is belittled and bullied by her Stepmother Hibernia until Faerie May comes to the rescue. Some truly magical moments when she is transformed into a beautiful young lady, stepping into a grand carriage pulled by real ponies (just like in 1906). And as she sets off to the Palace, just wait for the spectacular scene of jaw dropping, technical wizardry which needs to be seen to be believed.
Glamorously dressed to impress, Amber Sylvia Edwards and Will Callan are a delightful match as the romantic couple. Curiously the much-anticipated Royal Ball lasts less than a minute before midnight strikes, with little time for a graceful waltz with the handsome Prince, before Cinders races away up the staircase leaving her glass slipper behind.
However, amongst all the comical gags and ad libs galore, where is the traditional slick and silly slapstick, cake baking with flour flying and smashing plates in the Palace kitchen, as well as typical tongue twisters from previous Pantos?
Sleeping Beauty, 2015 featured a side splitting skit based on The Twelve Days of Christmas: “12 Christmas crackers, 11 Evening Newses, 10 Tartan Tammies,... and a fairy for the top of the tree.” This was a 10 minute routine, performed at faster and faster pace. Pure dead brilliant. Sleeping Beauty, 2021 - Andy Jordan related a terrific tongue twister story about poisonous pythons showing off such clarity of diction at rapid speed. (Crossroads Pantomimes - more hilarious sketches like these in 2025 please!.)
Comparisons and quibbles aside, once again Capital Theatres presents a fab-u-lous, Festive feast of entertainment for all the family. The ingredients are simple: take Cinderella’s classic period setting and key characters, blend briskly with topical, local jokes, a large spoonful of song and dance, and a generous sprinkle of fairy tale magic to create a sweet and spicy Christmas Pudding. Deliciously Fab-u-lous!
Showtimes:
Saturday 23 November – Tuesday 31 December, 2024
Times: 1pm, 2pm, 5pm, 7pm (according to date)
Ticket prices: from £20.75 (25 and under/Group discounts)
https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/panto-2024-cinderella/2282