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Ben Thornton as Buttons and Shannon Bourne as Cinderella with the excellent ensemble. Pictures: Pamela Raith Cinderella Lichfield Garrick **** Christmas is coming, the goose is getting . . . well, more worried than fat actually – and Cinderellas throughout the land are limping home in the early hours in just one shoe - and we have all been there . . . Yes - it's panto time again, that uniquely British contribution to the world's cultural melange – providing a retirement home for old jokes, bad puns and glorious daftness and Lichfield Garrick maintains both that tradition as well as keeping up its own contribution with yet another family friendly show that won't have youngsters asking awkward questions or maiden aunts clutching their pearls in an attack of the vapours. Cinderella is the archetypal panto, with its handsome prince, downtrodden heroine, cheeky chappie, with two blokes in frocks and dodgy make up, in this case being Sam Rabone and Matt Daines. For Sutton Coldfield born Sam it is a home match, giving him a bonus denied most panto stars in that he is at home for Christmas in what is his tenth Garrick panto and his first as a baddy, although his Aldianna and ugly sister Liddleena, played by Matt, Aldi and Lidl for short, are hardly bad – loud, brash, common as muck, daft with a terminal case of stupid jokes, yes . . . bad . . . more of a nuisance really.
Liddleena, played by Matt Daines and Sam Rabone as Aldianna The pair worked together as Ugly Sisters in St Albans back in 2013 and having gone their separate be frocked ways amid the trappings of damehood are back in harness . . . or maybe that should be corsets. One of the hardest parts of being a panto dame is the endless costume changes and Amy Chamberlain has done a fine job with an outlandish collection of colourful OTT costumes, sort of bas couture, although one of the costumes in the ghost routine was perhaps a little too much OTT – perhaps unintentionally drifting towards cruel mockery . . .just saying. The pair work well together as a unit with Sam, as always, enjoying every daft minute with the audience carried along with his boundless enthusiasm, a sense of fun matched by his long-time panto compatriot Ben Thornton in his sixth Garrick panto, this time as Buttons and despite all his panto pedigree, it is his first time in a production of Cinderella. Thornton's Buttons is never destined to get the girl (all say awhhh) but he does win over the audience with a sort of innocent charm and humour that will not leave children wondering why adults are laughing – which is not always the case in many modern pantos. As any parent will know risqué does not always go clear over children's heads.
Adam Craig as the Prince and Joe Feeney as Dandini A match made in Lichfield, sort of, is Cinderella and Prince Charming. Cinders is Shannon Bourne who, like Sam, is home for Christmas as she comes from Walsall while Adam Craig, as the Prince has more of a journey hailing from Stirling, north of the border. Shannon was Alice in Dick Whittington at Newbury last Christmas and Adam was Dick. Both, unbeknown to each other, applied for roles in this production and found themselves back together again purely by accident. For Cinders to work, she has to have that innocent, girl next door quality and Shannon manages that and sports a fine voice which combines well with that of the Prince. While the two Ugly Sisters are one double act, this panto gives us another with the Prince and Dandini, played by Joe Feeney, who might be remembered as a baddy (more a likeable baddy than a bad baddy) Luke Backinanger last year and popping up in The Pocket Dream at the Garrick last spring. He has good timing and the pair bounce off each other, even giving us elocution and what we might describe as disarticulation lessons, babs. If yam intristed.
Clarice Julianda as the trainee, now qualified, Fairy Godmother As it’s all a fairy story we need a fairy, or in this case a Fairy Godmother, which is a step up, or is it a hoof up for Clarice Julianda from her last visit to the Garrick as Dave the Cow in Jack and the Beanstalk. Presumably she is on a sort of Godmother Creation Scheme as she is only a trainee godmother hoping to get her magic wand by getting Cinders and the Prince hitched up . . . and as that is the whole point of the story, she should be in with a chance – or she could buy a wand at the merch stall outside. Appearing in a flash, from traditionally stage right, our Fairy Twinklethistle has a great voice and carries the role well with the magic bits impressive. The change from rags to ball gown for cinders was among the best I have seen . . . and believe me I have seen a lot of Cinderella – even wrote one once! Then came the coach and horses, a spectacular affair which might be bread and butter SFX at the likes of Birmingham Hippodrome with its vast stage and wing area, but which for a more modest sized stage such as the Garrick was a bit of a triumph. It had to be shoehorned leaving no room to swing a cat, which is presumably why they couldn’t do Dick Whittington. The leads were aided by an excellent six strong ensemble playing everything from villagers to ghosts, with some lively choreography from Kayleigh Dettmer helping to drive the pace with an excellent band under musical director Gary Jerry. Set design by Helga Wood and Michelle Marden was bright and colourful when needed and the kitchen had a sort of simple Disneyesque feel about it, interesting and effective while Sam and Ben got the audience going with a sort of singalong competition, an interesting variation which was far more interesting than the usual divided audience singing the same song over and over again. As pantos go, it is traditional, thoroughly family friendly and fun. Directed by the Garrick's artistic director and chief executive, Daniel Buckroyd, Cinders will be hoping her prince will turn up with her missing shoe to 11-01-26. Roger Clarke 27-11-25 |
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