The transformation scene in Cinderella usually comes when our heroine is whisked away to the Palace Ball. But in Travelling Light’s gloriously eccentric, and once or twice quite dark version, it arrives early doors as the lugubrious Craig Edwards is transmogrified before our very eyes from kind father into evil stepmother.
This is just one of director Sally Cookson’s inventive interpretations of the original Brothers Grimm storyline. Even more unusual - and a total and unexpected delight - is the replacing of the Fairy Godmother guardian with a flock of birds of the forest, sketched all-of-a-flutter, both physically and vocally, by the five cast members.
Above all, though, this is a wonderfully funny as well as a very different pantomime, right from Edwards’ staccato double takes through to Lisa Kerr’s feisty Ella, wearing a pair of Jimmy Choo crystal slippers to die for, and Thomas Eccleshare’s geeky, bird-watching Prince.
Lucy Tuck and Saikat Ahamed, both uproariously attired for the ballroom scene in Barbara Cartland shocking pink, eventually discover hearts of gold as Ella’s Step Sister and Step Brother, while the catchy original music from Benji and Will Bower enhance yet another delicious Tobacco Factory Christmas treat.
Production information can change over the run of the show.
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