Cinderella

Published Wednesday 21 December 2005 at 15:55 by Peta David

The one thing that saves this show from completely flopping is the lively and energetic dance group. Without them there would be little tempo or vigour and Jeremy Beadle appearing as Buttons would surely sink. He is curiously upstaged by a pantomime camel, which seems to go down very well with the audience, but otherwise the jokes are weak and feeble.

The ugly sisters are Michael James and Andy Day, who appeared to be dressed on the cheap. They are garbed in the most hideous costumes with no design flair at all. However, they did their best with the weak script to add some much needed humour to events. Their wicked Mother, alias Su Douglas, is a true professional, bringing glamour and sophistication to proceedings - as does Toni-Sue Burley as the Fairy Godmother.

Choreographer Rita Proctor has brought together a strong group of dancers in a mixture of routines that are slick and fun to watch. Victoria Jones is a truly sweet Cinderella with an interesting voice. This is not Beadle’s best performance format, which becomes obvious as he occasionally blanks, breaking the momentum and slowing the pace. One senses it’s not easy for him - good job it’s a short run.