CINDERELLA. To 15 January.
London
CINDERELLA
by Jonathan Petherbridge
Greenwich Theatre To 15 January 2005
Mon-Sat 2pm & 7pm except 31 Dec 11am & 3pm, 4 Jan 4pm, 11-12 Jan 2pm only no performance 1, 5, 10 Jan
Audio-described 6 January 2pm & 7pm
Runs 2hr 20min One interval
TICKETS: 020 8858 7755
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 23 December
More Bubbling fun and wit at Christmastime Greenwich.The Old Vic may have Sir Ian McKellen, but London Bubble at Greenwich Theatre has in Simon Thomson the Laurence Olivier of Damedom. Thomson's the one regular actor in Bubble pantos and his dangerously smiling, one-step-ahead character is lively as ever.
Along with the Theatre Royal E15, Bubble's is the panto I'd soonest search out. The two are widely different, reflecting their respective parts of London. E15's upfront, ethnically diverse and inclusive, vibrant and fast-paced. Bubble's subtle, richly-textured, witty and ironic. Not that it's at all xenophobic. Oh no. Though people from as far away as Deptford (one short stop on the train) had better beware.
Thomson starts the show complaining that his character (Ella's real mother) dies after 4 pages of script and that involving interruptions from lesser characters. Receiving the expected audience Aahhh' his response is acidic rather than grateful merely the first surprise he pulls.
The death when it comes, limb by limb, is funny but needless to say it's far from the last we see of Florence, who returns to engineer her Ella's trip to the ball, sending a young audience member to the shops for a pumpkin. OK, what comes back may be a marrow but with a lizard at the wheel it does fine service.
There's quite a menagerie here: helpful mice Gordon and Lydia running around, the former transformed to human-size to play a key part in the action, Greenwich Theatre rats strategically placed among the audience, a couple of frogs filling in the apparently essential Bubble feature a pair of animals popping up downstage - a giant goldfish. And a Crowe.
That's Minnie Crowe, a fine actor compact enough to play put-upon people but with a quiet force giving her character authority against anyone around. Her Ella may one moment seem to be going with Thomson's flow; the next, without any visible effort, she's centre of attention.
But the wickedly witty show is well-performed all-round and, Jonathan Petherbridge knowing exactly how to play with conventions, set surprises and provide opportunities for delighted audience involvement, it's a treat for all but the youngest.
Ella: Minnie Crowe
Alberta: Rachel Essex
Ruby: Dystin Johnson
Ronald: Tom Jude
Wilbert: Cornelius MaCarthy
Charles: Eric Maclennan
Florence: Simon Thomson
Victoria: Katherine Vernez
Director: Jonathan Petherbridge
Designer: Pip Nash
Lighting: Peter Higton
Sound: Colin Compost
Composer/Musical Director: Tom Johnson
Choreographer: Maggie Rawlinson
2004-12-27 23:23:41