Cinderella

Three cheers for the Hawth’s annual Christmas panto. Rip roaring traditional fare served up with a generous dollop of sauce. Julie Coombe was a fabulously twinkly Fairy Godmother, Ian Smith and Michael Batchelor’s Ugly Sisters, Beatrice and Eugenie, owe a definite debt to Lady Gaga in both the style and the extent of their wardrobes, CBBC’s Sid Sloane was a wonderful Dandini and Stephen Mulherne was the best, brightest Button in the box. So cheeky and likeable that you almost expected Cinderella to trash the wedding and marry Buttons. But this is Panto land and the story is safe.

Cinderella is one of the great classic pantos, the well-known narrative moves along at a cracking pace – and it’s moving too. The set pieces and visual magic keep the momentum up: a lengthy boardgames gag delivered at breakneck-speed is breathtakingly funny and Cinderella’s coach is breathtaking too… Fast, furious and fun for all the family.

The Hawth, Crawley, 14 December 2013 (until 5 January 2014)

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