Review: CINDERELLA, Venue Cymru
Photo credit: Wes Webster
This festive season, Imagine Theatre and Venue Cymru are bringing Cinderella to life on stage for audiences of all ages to enjoy. While countless versions of this beloved classic have been told over the years, will this production be a magical first theatrical experience for many or will it lose its sparkle by the stroke of midnight?
In case you’ve been living under a pumpkin, Cinderella works tirelessly, dreaming of a better life. When an invitation to the royal ball arrives to meet Prince Charming, her chance at happiness finally appears. With wicked stepsisters who plan to ruin everything, can the Fairy Godmother and Cinders’ loyal best friend Buttons save the day?
Venue Cymru has everything you could want this Christmas; reality TV favourites, stars of popular dance shows, trusted pantomime performers, and a writer who clearly knows the genre inside out. This production, first seen last year during Fareham’s inaugural season, has arrived in Llandudno as a real crowd-pleaser.
Writer Tam Ryan delivers a script packed with laughs while still letting the story breathe, never straying too far from the classic tale audiences know and love. Clever local jokes pepper the show, with playful nods to neighbouring Welsh coastal towns, lines such as “I’m not going to steal, I’m not from Rhyl!” landing perfectly and keeping the audience fully on board and having a great time.
All eyes are firmly on brothers AJ and Curtis Pritchard following their meme-worthy viral turn on Hollyoaks though, disappointingly, there’s not so much as a nod or skit referencing Trish. Their acting may have been heavily criticised on the soap, but pantomime hardly demands degree-level performances, and here the pair largely win the audience over.
Dancing with the Stars and Love Island all star Curtis Pritchard is surprisingly endearing as Prince Charming’s sidekick, Dandini, bringing warmth and charm to the role. Strictly Come Dancing favourite AJ, on the other hand, still feels somewhat rigid, with a rather wooden delivery at times. That said, the creative team have played smartly to both brothers’ strengths, incorporating several impressive dance numbers that really showcase the talent they both undeniably possess. Curtis, in particular, is also more than happy to poke fun at himself, with cheeky gags referencing famous exes Maura Higgins and Ekin-Su drawing some of the biggest laughs of the night.
Curtis is given two musical numbers, both lip-synced to a very obvious backing track, a slight disappointment in live theatre, but he carries them confidently and does a solid job nonetheless. Both brothers do stumble over lines, but with this being among the show’s first performances, and given that panto thrives on a bit of chaos, it feels more forgivable than distracting. Ultimately, despite a few rough edges, AJ and Curtis prove to be thoroughly entertaining throughout, delivering exactly the kind of energy and fun audiences expect from a pantomime.
Another duo starring in the show are local favourites Han and Fran, who rose to prominence earlier this year as finalists on Britain’s Got Talent 2025. Much like their time on the show where they became known for their ABBA medleys and high-energy mega mixes, the audience is treated to a cleverly reworked parody of ‘Fernando’, hilariously rewritten around everyone’s favourite Portuguese chicken restaurant, Nando’s.
Cast as Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters ‘The TikTok Terrors’, Whitney and Britney Bardashian, Han and Fran don’t initially feel like the most obvious choice for the roles. After their TV appearances, they’ve built a reputation as genuinely lovely, likeable performers, which makes seeing them step into such gloriously wicked characters all the more surprising. While Hannah Roberts fully rises to the challenge, embracing the role with gusto, Fran appears to struggle slightly to lean into the character’s nastier edge. Even so, it’s hard not to be charmed by their journey, from once sitting in the audience at their local pantomime to now starring on that very stage. It’s a feel-good story, and their enthusiasm shines through regardless.
John Evans is very much a Venue Cymru pantomime institution, now marking his 15th year on the venue’s stage. He truly comes into his own when he strays off script, delighting in improvised exchanges with unsuspecting audience members. Evans knows exactly what a panto crowd wants and delivers it flawlessly, whether that’s cheekily shouting out Conwy Council sponsors in attendance on press night, proudly demonstrating what ‘real’ sweat looks like. There’s even a perfectly timed fake shout-out to Arriva Trains Wales… oh no there isn’t, they’ve been cancelled.
Returning by popular demand, Simon Nehan takes on the role of Dame Polly Penrhyn this year, alongside a wonderfully daft turn as an undercover housekeeper dispatched to become Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Nehan holds the audience in the palm of their hand from start to finish, buoyed by boundless energy, razor-sharp comic timing and truly impressive costumes by James Maciver Costumes Ltd. It’s a powerhouse performance and a masterclass in panto dame artistry, quite simply, one of the best you could hope to see.
Corrine Cherish returns to Venue Cymru, having last appeared there many years ago as Snow White, and this time steps into the title role of Cinderella. What’s immediately striking about her portrayal is how grounded it feels. This isn’t a parody of the character, nor an over-the-top caricature seen in some productions — she plays Cinderella as a real, relatable person. That choice allows the character to grow naturally and makes it far easier for the audience to connect with her journey. Cherish’s voice is absolutely beautiful, earning a standout moment when Dame Polly Penrhyn cheekily asks whether she’s ever considered the West End, only to clarify that she means a pub in Abergele. It’s a lovely comic beat that also highlights just how strong her vocals are.
The dress reveal from Cinderella to Princess Crystal is slightly clumsy in its execution however. To reach the big moment, Cherish dons a black cape, exits the stage, a curtain drops, and she reappears through a glittering doorway. Once revealed, though, she looks truly stunning, and any minor awkwardness is quickly forgotten. She’s then swept onto a mechanical winged horse that lifts her into the air, closing Act One in spectacular fashion and leaving the children in the audience utterly wide-eyed with wonder.
Venue Cymru’s Cinderella has a strong script, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, stand-out panto performances and enough spectacle to keep younger audience members wide-eyed with wonder; this is a festive offering that knows exactly what it’s meant to be. While a few rough edges and technical hiccups stop it from achieving full fairy-godmother perfection, the heart, humour and sheer fun on display ensure it still fits comfortably into the royal ball. A sparkling, feel-good pantomime that earns its place and its four stars before the clock strikes midnight.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Jordan Potts
Cinderella plays at Venue Cymru until 3 January, with further info here.