Cinderella - Nottingham Theatre Royal Review

★★★★☆

There are few annual traditions as delightfully British as a Christmas pantomime, and Nottingham Theatre Royal’s Cinderella arrives with all the flourish, glitter, and nonsense an audience could hope for. But here’s the question: with such a media-saturated star at the helm, can this production deliver more than a celebrity cameo? Does this Cinderella truly sparkle, or does it rely too heavily on sequins and Strictly lingo?

Happily, the answer leans proudly toward sparkle. This is a pantomime that knows exactly what it is and who it’s for. If you were hoping for a chaotic, Strictly-infused show with a FAB-U-LOUS villain, then it delivers on all fronts. But, as with many opening-week pantos, there are also kinks in the rhythm, balance, and pacing that will likely settle as Christmas draws nearer. And, as every seasoned panto-goer knows, a show like this finds its true groove once the cast have properly bonded with their audience, the material, and with each other. If you want the smoothest version, booking closer to Christmas is always the safest bet.

Craig Revel Horwood (Wicked Stepmother) and members of the Cinderella company. Credit: Whitefoot Photography.

The auditorium glitters with lights before the story even begins, and when Christina Bianco’s Fairy Godmother is revealed in a shimmer of silver and a wall of fog, you can feel the childlike excitement ripple through the room, especially during this matinée performance brimming with primary school children. Bianco oozes warm, gracious star-quality. She guides the story with a playful twinkle and effortlessly commands the stage. During the second act, the material becomes tailored to her legendary impersonation skills, snapping between Adele, Britney, Celine, and Julie Andrews, in “Tomorrow”. If the mark of a Fairy Godmother is to cast a spell over the audience, then Bianco’s performance is pure magic.

Then, to the headline draw, the cast member who will help sell tickets by the sleigh-load (though controversially, not on a Saturday due to scheduling commitments!), is Craig Revel Horwood as Baroness Demonica Hardup. It is no exaggeration to say that Horwood is a born evil stepmother; a typecast that has served him very well recently. This is not a half-hearted celebrity appearance; Horwood owns that stage. Sharp-tongued, wickedly charismatic, and knowingly theatrical, he is a natural panto villain. He croons, he cackles, he struts in heels as if it’s second nature, and his powerhouse rendition of “My Way” is one of the night’s undisputed highlights. The only surprising element is how little he dances, given his day job, one expects high kicks and sequins galore, but his choreography is kept relatively restrained. That said, as someone who’s never watched Strictly Come Dancing, the ‘in-jokes’ are cultural enough that you don’t need to be a die-hard dance fan to know they are A-MAZ-ING. 

If Horwood is the show’s glamour and flair, then Neil Hurst as Buttons is the show’s heart. Hurst is becoming a true pantomime veteran; clearly experienced in the art of quick wit and fearless audience interaction. His fourth-wall breaks, improvised quips, and affectionate teasing of the front row are handled nicely. Some of his jokes lean cheekily, occasionally toeing the line, but they always fly safely over the heads of younger viewers. His tongue-twister scene with the children dragged up from the audience is a lesson in how to make a nervous seven-year-old feel like a star. His duet with his teddy bear is unexpectedly sweet, a moment of genuine emotion tucked between water pistols and fart jokes. Hurst, quite simply, is made for pantomime.

Elly Jay (Cinderella) and members of the Cinderella company. Credit: Whitefoot Photography.

At the centre of the chaos, Elly Jay plays Cinderella with charm. She has that essential quality of being both sweet and spirited, never mawkish. Her chemistry with Stephenson Ardern-Sodje’s dashing Prince Charming feels authentic; the pair are certainly having the time of their lives on the stage. Ardern-Sodje, fresh off West End, brings smooth vocals and a quietly confident stage presence that balances well against the bigger pantomimic performances surrounding him.

Daniel Norford, as the ever-faithful Dandini, is wonderfully paired with Ardern-Sodje; the pair’s banter feels organic, yet their identity-swap sequence feels underdeveloped. It’s a key plot point with real potential, but you get the sense it was brushed aside to give the named talent a few more turns to entertain the audience. There were perhaps a few missed opportunities to allow the supporting cast to explore their strengths.

The Wicked Sisters, Tess and Claudia Hardup, are played with gusto by May Tether and Britt Lenting. They strut, preen, and bluster their way across the stage in costumes that deserve applause of their own, and vocally, both are powerhouses. However, they are undeniably underused. With a star like Horwood commanding much of the villainy spotlight, their roles drift into the background, not through lack of skill but simply through a lack of stage time. When they do get to shine, particularly in the uproarious “If I Were Not at Hardup Manor” sequence, they are great fun. One only wishes they were given more to do.

Stephenson Ardern-Sodje (Prince Charming) and Daniel Norford (Dandini) with members of the Cinderella Company. Credit: Whitefoot Photography.

The ensemble (Ruby Olivia Bennett, Harrison Creech, AJ Cufflin, Oliver Ferro, Rayne Hunter-Smith, Kasey Robinson, Nikki Seymour, and Matthew Sweet) deserves praise for injecting every musical number with Strictly-worthy energy. Alan Burkitt’s choreography blends ballroom flair with panto bounce, and the dancers execute it with athletic precision and huge smiles. They also handle the show’s physical comedy, slapstick chases, and chaotic entrances with ease.

Visually, Cinderella is caked with more glitter than a Year-3 classroom. Ian Westbrook’s sets are rich, sparkly, and well-crafted. Teresa Nalton’s costumes are outrageous, vibrant, and occasionally jaw-dropping, especially for the Baroness. The transformation scene is a dollop of pantomime wonder, and the flying carriage (because why not… it’s panto) is one of the most enchanting moments for the children in the audience.

But the production is not without issues. Gavin Whitworth’s orchestra is gloriously full-bodied, but it frequently overwhelms the singers. Parody numbers only land if you can hear the altered lyrics, and too often, they’re lost beneath the swell of music; hopefully, an early-run glitch rather than a season-long flaw. Pantomimes are living, breathing creatures, and this is exactly the sort of problem that tends to settle quickly.

Pantomimes inevitably dive into the world of parody songs; some land with lyrical brilliance, others feel a touch more shoe-horned. I won’t pass firm judgment, but there were moments where I did find myself gripping the arm of my seat at a few particularly cheesy choice rhymes. Still, the cast delivers them with such commitment and charm that even the corniest numbers win you over. Perhaps that’s simply my inner critic showing. Honestly, this production could easily be classed as a musical at times, with the level of vocal talent and the number of songs.

The Cinderella company. Credit: Whitefoot Photography.

There are also some comedy beats that already feel dated, particularly the inclusion of “Gangnam Style” and “Agadoo” during the dance-off, which younger audience members simply don’t recognise. Similarly, the wall-top serenade scene, in which the Prince, Cinderella and Buttons push eachother off a wall whilst singing a Bryan Adams song, just felt overly long. For me, compressing some of these tired tropes would tighten the show and further lift the energy.

Still, for every one misstep, Cinderella gives you three moments of pure joy. Buttons’ slapstick. Craig’s wicked wink. Christina Bianco doing eleven diva impressions in one song. A flying carriage. Enough glitter to fill a ballroom. Water pistols. Enough puns to fuel an entire nation of dads. Soring musical numbers. 

This Cinderella is not trying to reinvent the wheel… thank goodness. What it delivers instead is exactly what pantomime is meant to be: loud, silly, sparkly, heartfelt, family-friendly chaos led by a cast clearly having the time of their lives. The whole thing is a glitterball celebration of festive fun, and Nottingham audiences are going to eat it up.

So grab your glass slippers, book your tickets, and catch it closer to Christmas, when the cast will undoubtedly be flying at full throttle. This is a Cinderella bursting with joy, energy, and Strictly sparkle. A FAB-U-LOUS festive treat and a glittering reminder of why pantomime matters.