The Stage

Cinderella

Published Monday 14 December 2009 at 14:05 by Graham Gurrin

The splendid Gay Soper gives us a Fairy Godmother who needs to pass her test in order to gain her wand and wings, so the audience is on her side from the outset - and having the audience wishing for a happy ending throughout is the keynote of this show’s success.

A scene from Cinderella at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Royce Mills (Baron Hardup) has a knack of delivering double entendres that allows the parents to laugh while the children giggle. Hilary O’Neil’s Dandini is not only extraordinarily adept at impressions but also has a lovely singing voice. The likeable Lloyd Hollett puts considerable pathos into his rejection by Cinders, making you actually care about Buttons, but as usual he milks the kids who come up on stage for I Am The Music Man for every laugh he can get. The transformation scene is particularly well done, with Cinders magically turning into Princess Crystal, but there are still a few gasps left for the real ponies pulling the carriage across the stage. Ugly sisters Peter Gordon and Gerry Tebbutt do their best to be as unpleasant to the audience as they can. Gethin Jones as Prince Charming sets female hearts a-flutter at every opportunity, particularly when he does his Strictly routine. And Rebecca Brewer’s (Cinderella) voice is one of the delights of the show, particularly in her duets with Jones. Paul Hendy provides a gag-filled script that races by and Gerry Tebbutt directs with pace and energy. The show finishes with the stage a riot of silver and gold. A splendid production.