Cinderella till 1 February
Birmingham
CINDERELLA
Birmingham Hippodrome: Tkts 0870 730 1234
Runs: 2h 35m, one interval, till 1 February 2004
Review: Rod Dungate 20 December 2003
Spectacular and more great family entertainment
The Birmingham Hippodrome's panto is about spectacle and spectacular this is and a lot more besides. Fast paced, a host of dynamic performances to keep the whole thing bubbling, gorgeous sets and costumes and real Shetland ponies. What more could you want this is certainly full-value family entertainment on the large-scale.
Audiences, young and old, come to see the stars of course in this version of Cinderella Julian Clary and Dave Benson Phillips (Dandini and Buttons but you could have guessed that couldn't you? Oh yes you could . . .) Both these performers are great assets to the show.
Julian Clary has a terrific ability to work an audience with great good humour. Watching him in action you have the sense he's letting you in on a joke sharing it with you. It's so friendly! Whether this stems from his stint in Covent Garden Community Theatre and early comedy circuit routines (ahh the visits of the Joan Collins Fan Club to mac in Birmingham) I don't know, but it's a great strength. I have some qualms about the tone of some of the jokes but he is marvellous value. Oddly, his OTT outfits never look quite OTT and there is much fun to be had with Prince Charming moaning that his body guard is better dressed than he is.
Dave Benson Phillips (Buttons) is a perfect balance to Clary he's as outgoing as the other is laid back. With enormous energy he bounces through the show pulling us with him and how happy that makes us. Phillips has a warm and generous personality which totally endears him to us.
Tony Jackson and David Hill (Ugly Sisters Verucca and Hernia) add generous amounts of grotesque humour. And Lynsey McCaffrey's Cinderella is a lively and lovely young woman. Her first half exit to the ball in golden coach is a real show stopper.
There's often a particular pleasure in seeing young people among the villagers and chorus in pantomimes. In this production the young people are particularly good real confidence. A credit to the Birmingham Stage school of which they are members.
Dandini: Julian Clary
Buttons: Dave Benson Phillips
Fairy Godmother: Rosemary Ashe
Baron: Philip Herbert
Broker's Man: Malcolm Boyden
Hernia: David Hill
Verucca: Tony Jackson
Cinderella: Lynsey McCaffrey
Prince Charming: Henry Luxemburg
Lord Chamberlain: Ian Gledhill
With
Zoe Harris, Melanie Iddon, Nathan James, Penny Joyner, Kate Marley, Remy Martyn, Jo Meredith, Carl Patrick Morris, Brett Watkiss
Birmingham Stage School
Milly Kellyman, Danielle Gerald, Jenny O'Sullivan, Samantha Allwood, Joe Allwood, Ben O'Hare, Bethan Williams, Hope McGoldrick, Brogan Hadland, Rhiannon Hughes,, Reece Jones, Becky Anderson, Daisie Nash, Sophie Conroy, Ellie Conroy, Andriana Loizias, Emily Bird, Jayne Morgan, Paige Jeffers, Kiah Smith
Director: Jonathan Best
Choreographer: Dollie Henry
Musical Director: Robert E Willis
Lighting: Graham J McLusky
2003-12-21 16:41:58