Writer and Director: Andrew Pollard
Boasting the voices of Dame Judi Dench and Miriam Margolyes, Cinderella, The King’s Head’s first-ever pantomime, is a bubbly Christmas offering catering to every audience.
It’s a tentative start that lacks a classic upbeat and scene-setting opening number, but eventually, Cinderella gets going with an introduction from no less than the Shakespearean tones of Dame Judi Dench and blossoms into plenty of panto fun.
The production offers the classic Cinderella fairy tale but has different showings for adults and families. It’s a clever move that allows an adult audience to really lean into a particularly bawdy atmosphere, and Andrew Pollard’s script rises to the occasion with the right number of puns, dirty jokes, and pop culture references.
The dialogue is carried off by the small cast well, with solid vocals and classic jukebox musical covers, as expected, featuring Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter’s hits of the year. But, at times, the show simply feels like a family panto, but with added swear words, which is often funny, but the repetition gets slightly tired, even if spun for the adults. God forbid a performer mixes up the script for the evening and accidentally shouts swear words into an audience full of children. An unlikely occurrence, certainly, given the polished professionalism of the cast, but it is stressful to imagine.
The twist on the classic tale into a panto storyline comes mainly in the form of the ugly stepsisters, named Peckham (Ella Vaday/Nick Collier) and Dalston (Harry Curley), which thankfully doesn’t trigger too many London-centric jokes, just a few references to being desperate for gentrification. The sisters steal the show, and the renowned RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Ella Vaday as the Peckham sister is the clear standout, drawing the laughs and bringing the vocals. Vaday is a seasoned theatre performer and rises to her reputation, managing a playful and spontaneous energy, which is a delight to watch. There are a couple of nods to her star-studded history, particularly a naughty Nigella Lawson impression that won her the Snatch Game on season three of the reality drag TV show.
The cast is small and mighty and fills Gregor Donnelly’s cleverly designed stage. Robert Rees’ Buttons has enough energy to get an audience full of adults singing and dancing, and Maddy Erzan-Essien’s Cinderella is a fun balance of sweet and funny, with excellent voice to boot.
Adult showings get a Special Guest Star appearance and, on press night, are awarded with the vocal powerhouse of Danielle Steers and a jazzy rendition of Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold. An amazing and enjoyable performance, even if it doesn’t have much relation to the plot.
It’s unfortunate the show strays just a tad too long. There are a few too many emotional ballads, although nice sung by Erzan-Essian, they just don’t serve much purpose. But otherwise, it’s pretty streamlined as pantos go, with some lovely transforming outfits and a glittering giant pumpkin carriage. In panto fashion, however, instead of mice turned into gleaming white horses, it’s a duck turned into a giant swan that pulls the Princess to the ball – an Islington twist, perhaps.
For panto excellence and a first for this corner of North London, King’s Head Theatre’s Cinderella provides a wonderful Christmas show for adults and kids.
Runs until 5 January 2025
