Cinderella – New Wimbledon Theatre, London

Writer: Alan McHugh

Director: Michael Gyngell

With Strictly’s Craig Revel Horwood starring as the dame, you would think that Wimbledon’s pantomime for 2023 would be nothing short of fab-ou-lous. However, it seems that most of the budget has gone to the set and the costumes. Apart from the Strictly judge, the rest of the cast is distinctly un-starry whereas last year, in comparison, was celeb central. But the biggest disappointment is the fact that there wasn’t enough money to pay for some jokes.

Some pantomimes have a whole host of comedy characters and usually in Cinderella, Prince Charming’s man servant Dandini is one of them but here at Wimbledon Daniel Norford is woefully underused to the extent that he is often just part of the chorus. As Prince Charming, Solomon Davy is suitably squeaky clean while Cassie Compton’s Cinderella is just as righteous. Recent productions of Cinderella have given their titular protagonist a modern-day perspective with a sense of agency and spirited independence. None of the waves of feminism has reached this Hardup Hall or this Prince’s Palace which means we care little about the lovers, to be honest.

When Revel Horwood is not on stage, Pete Firman as Buttons does all of the heavy lifting. He’s a genial host, adding the occasional magic trick to his patter and telling the odd Dad-joke. He’s marvellous with the children who come on at the end and he’s fairly indefatigable, although a few times the weariness comes through. But without him, this panto would be nothing.

Of course, Revel Horwood is a delightful Demonica Hardup and has great rapport with daughters Tess (Catherine Morris) and Claudia (Leanne Jones) but their routines are based on song and dance when really we want some slapstick and pratfalling. The songs appear to be a mixture of original numbers and popular songs, including a very strange version of I Will Survive where the lines are difficult to hear (and the lines difficult to scan). With so many songs, however, this Cinderella flirts with being a musical rather than a pantomime.

There’s a smidgeon of audience participation and the end of Act One will have the little ones (and some of the older ones too) awestruck. Too often, however, everyone seems in a hurry to finish and scenes which could have been mined for their comedy value are wrapped up quickly as another song intrudes. The second act is over in a flash.

It’s not quite, as Craig would say, a “dis-ast-er, darling’ but this Cinderella definitely lacks some glitterball magic. We expect good things from Wimbledon but this year pantomime production company Crossroads has missed the mark and forgotten the laughs. This is the straight face of tango rather than the goofiness of the Charleston.

Runs to 7 January 2024