Baron Hardup (Kieran Cunningham)
and Buttons (Adam Baxter)

Pantomime is familiar and predictable – that’s part of the fun. You know the story, the characters and most of the jokes. So the secrets of success are presentation and performance – and the New Wolsey’s Cinderella is predictably raucous, musically excellent and thoroughly enjoyable.

All the usual ingredients are present: Baron Hardup (Kieran Cunningham), the Mayor of Ipswich and his downtrodden daughter Cinders (Sarah Scowen) are getting ready for the Ball. Visiting Prince Charming (Mark Stanford) and travelling companion Dandini (Kit Orton) are in town. But for Buttons (Adam Baxter), love for Cinders remains a hopeless dream. And of course there’s the fairy godmother (Lauren Storer). But the show (and the overacting) really kicks off when Rubella De Zees (Esther Biddle) and ugly daughters Hernia (Justin Brett) and Verucca (Anthony Coote) arrive in town.

The show is stuffed with great songs, even if links to the plot are tenuous. All of the cast play a variety of instruments, but typically the line up is two saxophones, trumpet, two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. For me the stand-out numbers were In the Midnight Hour and a very creditable Tears of a Clown – I imagine this is a tricky song to do well with a small band. We were lucky enough to be in the second row and the sound was good – loud but clear and the well-worked dance routines added to the fun.

As for the jokes? As I said, you’ve heard them all before: “Isn’t that a little Rash? – The doctor’s given me some cream for it” but they still get big laughs. And there is all of the audience participation you’d expect – noisy and great fun for the younger theatregoers.

The setting was simple, with a well that people kept getting chucked down – accompanied by the audience getting squirted with water! The well featured as a base for glove puppets and for the introduction of props onto the stage; when Cinders sang Down Town, a hand popped up to pass her a trumpet and she rattled off a solo.

As we reached the finale I made a mental note that the poor drummer (Charlie Wade) had spent most of the night stuck behind his kit while everyone else took turns in the spotlight. But then for an encore Rubella De Zees took the sticks and the Charlie sang the lead on a rousing version of the Jacksons’ Blame it on the Boogie, complete with  moonwalking. The audience roared with appreciation, and it looked as if the performers were enjoying it just as much. Great stuff.

There are a variety of matinees, school specials, early and late shows and signed/described specials. Runs until 31st January 2009. Booking details on the New Wolsey website www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Adrian Lynch
December 2008

Members of the cast witness the happy resolution of the glass slipper mystery