Complete with glitter, snow, ice skating and a couple of shetland ponies, Cinderella brings the sparkle of Christmas to the Manchester Opera House.
Re-telling the classic tale of a young princess who goes from rags to riches when she falls in love with Prince Charming. This pantomime takes a creative twist, providing a little spice to the traditional story, Manchester have really pulled out all of the stops this year with their spectacular family fun pantomime.
The set is draped in glitter and each scene is impressively designed which captivates the audience instantaneously. During the end of Act 1 the snow that falls on the audience enhances the festivities, leaving the audience anticipating what enchantment awaits them.
Torvill and Dean grace the stage elegantly as the ice skating fairy godparents, they perfectly master their graceful roller-skate dancing as they truly appear as if they are skating on ice. After numerous teases throughout the show towards the end they perform their famous Bolero, as expected they dance impeccably with the breathtaking use of aerial silks as they float in the air.
The ice skating element of the show is a nice touch, it is refreshing to see a pantomime take a different approach to just filling their show with celebrities. I enjoyed the way they have taken two highly famous stars and used their talents in a different way.
Cinderella is played by Eloise Davies, she provides a beautiful performance as innocent young Cinderella who is bullied by her ugly stepsisters. Her performance is bursting with characterisation and charm and the sweet tone of her vocals reflect that, she portrays the princess perfectly. Her voice blends well with her love interest Prince Charming played by Liam Doyle who plays the role endearingly. His vocals are outstanding, the least you’d expect after he played Fiyero in the Wicked UK Tour. Both Doyle and Davies’ duet of “Thinking Out Loud” is a stunning highlight of the show.
One of the standout performances is Samuel Holmes as the all-singing, all-dancing prince’s right hand man Dandini. His stage presence is illuminating and his performance is outstanding. He does a sensational rendition of Feeling Good, supported by the faultless ensemble which mirrors something that would appear in a West End show. Andre Vincent as Buttons has the audience in stitches over his stupidity and naivety throughout the show, his dedication to the role is evident as he epitomises the classic panto character.
Cinderella wouldn’t be complete without the two repulsive ugly stepsisters. Cheryl (Tim Hudson) and Rita (Dave Lynn) play excellent baddies, the second they walk on stage they are bombarded with booing. Their extravagant costumes have the children (and adults) screaming with laughter as every time they walk on stage they looked even more ridiculous.
The Villagers (ensemble) in the pantomime are of a very high standard, clearly highly skilled in dance their performance is superb and their dance numbers are mesmerising particularly during Dandini’s Feeling Good.
Making the show even more enthralling is the live band, something that really lifted the show and gave it a lot of personality as it allowed the performers to have more vocal freedom.
Cinderella is a magical show bursting with charismatic characters, impressive staging and enchanting musical numbers. A family fun show bound to put a smile on the faces of both adults and children during this festive season.
Get your skates on and head down to the Manchester Opera House before the 3rd of January, ticket details can be found here.
