A PRINCE, a shoe, a dream come true.. you know the score. Panto season is in full swing which means Cinderella is having a ball on stage at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend.
The theatre’s all singing, all dancing and all glittering seasonal offering this year stars our Essex homegrown TV and radio favourite Rylan Clark as the Fairy Godfather.
Two things I didn’t know about Rylan before was 1) just how tall he is (6ft 4 at least) and 2) although I had heard he is a humble and modest man, just how amazing he is with his fans. (I saw this after the show when Rylan was besieged for photos and selfies, but took time to chat to everyone).
And when it comes to fans he has plenty of them. Most were in the house on press night, judging by the cheers and yelps that erupted in the audience every time Rylan sashayed onto stage in one phenomenal costume after another.
Also in the all star cast is Ross King. Leaping into the role of Buttons with the energy of a 25-year-old the Scottish daytime TV stalwart, seemed to be having the time of his life as he bounded around on stage determined to fix Cinders up with her prince charming.
King was on Strictly Come Dancing earlier but was voted off in week two- a fact brought up in jest many times throughout the show.
One of the biggest hits of this very sumptuous production is ventriloquist Steve Hewlett, who appears as Baron Hardup. alongside his tart-tongued puppet called ‘Arthur Lager’.
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Hewlett certainly wasn’t hard up when it came to jokes, timing and in general pure comedy as some of the song routines and audience participation scenes he is in, reveal just how talented this guy is.
A big shout out to ‘Warren from Leigh-on-Sea’- the good sport audience member who was picked to go up on stage for a skit with Hewlett and did a first class job, literally leaving the audience in stitches.
Cinderella felt more like a show than a panto at times, but just when you felt it was learning towards the former, the cast would erupt into traditional panto mode.
The ‘If I Were Not in Pantomime’ routine at the end being a perfect example.
Of course Cinderella is nothing without her ugly sisters and Nick Greenshields and Ewan Goddard do an excellent job of playing the haggish siblings (aren’t they gorgeous!?), while Onagh Cox got to show just how great her voice is as Cinderella.
And one cast member was so cute I wanted to rush on stage and cuddle him. He was the absolutely adorable tiny white pony who is trotted onto stage to take Cinders to the ball. I’ve never heard so many ‘aahs’ and ‘awws’ in an auditorium.
All in all Cinderella is a wonderful, family fun fest that you won’t want to miss.
Cinderella is on at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend until January 4. Tickets from £21.75.
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