Review: CINDERELLA, Richmond Theatre
Photo credit: Ian Olsson
The very best pantomimes are produced by a careful blend of elements. A venue that has history and heritage to match the traditions of the genre, classic comic business and headline stars who can sing and dance with quick comic timing are essential. It requires a director who combines the elements to produce a slick ensemble show where everyone works together to deliver a joyous experience for an audience of young and old. Gary Wilmot has plenty of experience to draw on having played the Dame to great success at the Palladium in recent years, and he uses it to great effect in directing Cinderella at the historic Richmond Theatre in a very polished fast paced show.
There is a very fresh start to the show as the six in the dance ensemble introduce the delightful Fairy Godmother played by Helen George and we meet Dandini (Michael Lin) and The Prince (Tom Major) in search of love. Then we quickly see Cinderella (Hope Dawe) and the Sisters (Stephen Guarino and Jak Allen Anderson) in an upbeat fun reworded version of ‘Downtown’ as Richmond. It is an excellent opening sequence. Gary Wilmot’s influence is very clear when we meet Buttons (Charlie Stemp) in a clever wordplay song ‘Whatshisname’ and in a later song , a re-wording of ‘Ordinary Man’, you can almost hear Wilmot singing it in the delivery.
The challenge is to squeeze the standard Cinderella Crossroads Producer material into a two-hour running time! Charlie Stemp throws himself into the Mastermind routine with the Sisters, The Musculator cabinet with the Fairy, the wall routine with Cinders and The Prince, the Dance off with Dandini, “Susie Shaw” tongue twister with The Sisters and Basil Brush and ‘If I Were Not Upon The Stage’ with The Prince, Fairy and Dandini. Each is well delivered with good timing and great charm but very little innovation and slightly rushed. But they are all included because they work and always delight the audience. The former Palladium costumes also are well used with the dancing pumpkin men and the polar bears in proven routines to add to the quality feel.
With the musical theatre experience of Helen George and Charlie Stemp, Wilmot gives them plenty of stage time to sing and dance with a lovely Christmas medley and a charming rendition of ‘I’d Do Anything’, while reusing repeatedly ‘Tonight Belongs To You’. He adds ‘Somebody to Love’ for Cinders and Prince and ‘Putting on the Ritz’ for Dandini and the Prince. It gives the show a strong musical feel.
It does not leave much time for other business, and the Sisters feel very underused, never developing banter with the audience aside from the entrance call “Aren’t we gorgeous?” Basil Brush on his box also has to be squeezed into the show as Baron Basil with his usual business of “Boom Boom” gags and amusing visuals of the escalator and lift into his box. He is a character that transcends the generations, and his presence is appreciated by old and young in the audience.
The transformation from kitchen to the carriage ride sadly lacks spectacle and the time constraint means that they drop Buttons’ attempt to cheer Cinders up. There is a simple dress drop for Cinderella before the gauze rises to reveal two beautiful white, rather nervous looking, ponies in front of her carriage. It is an “aah” moment that certainly charms the young audience, but the space of the venue stage does not allow one of the Twin FX big Act 1 closing effects.
This is a very polished show but for once, we felt it wanted another fifteen minutes to allow more time to see Stemp sing and dance, more time for the Sisters to banter with the audience, and perhaps a songsheet with Basil and children from the audience. The desire to wrap it up in two hours makes it all feel a little rushed and with the talent on stage and Wilmot’s strong direction, we are left wanting more, with not even a finale wish for a “Happy Christmas and New Year” as they take their bows. Last night’s audience stood and waited for an encore that never came but it was enough to bring then back next year for Jack and The Beanstalk!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne
Cinderella plays at Richmond Theatre until 4 January, with tickets available here.
