Cinderella
Pantoloons
****
ALTHOUGH not suitable for aficionados of the traditional tale, the show suited the Pantoloons’ slightly off-the-wall style.
Around the bare bones of the tale were woven a number of sub-plots giving rise to roles as American tourists, witches, a TV game hostess, a flatulent pig and a huge spider.
The one-serves-all set was colourful, with props used to change the scenes, and the costumes team under wardrobe mistress Barbara Dent were excellent. Simple skirts added to a black leotard changed the graceful team of dancers from the Doris Holford Stage School into daisy chains, witches etc. leaving them able to do justice to the imaginative choreography. A mix of live and recorded music, mostly upbeat songs from the sixties, kept the show moving along, with Hilary Baily musically directing a small team of musicians.
Dandini was given star treatment by a laconic Phil Wright whose role was a sort of friendly bodyguard to the footy fanatic Prince Charming, played with gusto by Angie MacLean. No king or queen commanded a ball where Charming could wife-hunt, so it was fortuitous events took place on Halloween, with a Halloween Ball in the palace diary.
Of all the whacky additions to the script, we could now understand why Fairy Godmother Wanda’s powers would end at midnight, when evil came into its own. Wanda herself looked charming and tried hard with her spells, one of which turned her into Cilla Black for the not-really- necessary Blind Date sketch where the slipper eventually fitted the right contestant.
Far from being diminutive, Simon Vines was a larger-than-life Buttons, holding the show nicely together whatever beset him. Sadly, he wasn’t in love with Cinders, possibly because she was a gung-ho feisty young lady (Vicky Morris) who only just managed for fall for Charming.
So affectionate were the Ugly Sisters that they entered first in a huge, single dress, but we soon found that Lavatrina (Tony Dent) and Potterina (Chester Stern) could be as catty to each other as to Cinderella. Their mirror sketch was cleverly done and they conformed to traditional type.
Their mother, Zelda, was artfully devious
Theresa Hallahan on top form, whether as mother, stepmother or witch. As the latter, her own sisters, Trick and Treat, were the knockabout equivalents, in the good hands (and green faces) of Jane Swale and Kate Nash.
Neil Tunbridge could be found under the pig skin, wearing an excellent head made by Jon Howell and Nick Frost rushed around as the aforementioned animated spider.
I found it hard to come to terms with the transposed goodie and baddie sides - evil. should be stage left and good, stage right, but we did get an almost traditional transformation scene and fairy coach too.
Although too long — two hours is ideal for a panto — Director Ros Thnbridge kept her audience guessing and Producer Keith Hughes added his now expected technical touches.

Theo Spring

Croydon Advertiser

Friday 4th February 2005