Writer: Neil Hurst
Director: Tess Seddon
Doncaster’s Cinderella doesn’t really offer a fresh take on the old story until the closing stages when Ugly Stepsister Donna decides to join the forces of good. Otherwise it’s the familiar story, minus Baron Hardup, with a singularly unoppressed Cinderella at her stepsisters’ beck and call, but never within a mile of those cinders! A winter fair brings about the meeting with Prince Charming (disguised as Dandini), then the second half is all going to the ball, leaving the glass slipper at midnight and the Prince and Dandini seeking – and finding – its wearer.
Neil Hurst and Tess Seddon’s version of the tale leaves ample opportunities for the Senior Ensemble (Millie Christie, Cameron Duncan and Aaliyah Taylor-Nelson) and the six-girl Junior Ensemble (one of three groups used in the run) to excel, carrying a surprising amount of the weight of the show, dancing with precision and attack (choreographer Jasmine Gardner), singing attractively, changing costumes and characters at will and (in the case of the Juniors) dressing up as assorted animals. One girl has her moment of glory as a squirrel in the latest variation on the Disappearing Singers routine.
Imagine Theatre provides a myriad of traditional sets, with the odd neat visual gag, and plays its part in a nicely handled transformation scene at the end of Act 1. Madi Omatseone gets to preside over a mass of glitter in the costumes, plus some dame costumes that, to be honest, are more grotesque than funny. Sonum Batra pulls out all the stops in the musical accompaniment to a contemporary set of songs, plus the odd delve back into Queen’s early days.
What the pantomime is a bit short of is invention and a sense of mischief. Set pieces that are shoe-horned in provide many of the highlights, but many of the main scenes are routine. Joe Parker is a conventional Prince Charming, though Keeley Fitzgerald puts a bit more oomph into Dandini and combines it with a rather underwritten Fairy Godmother. Ben Eagle (Donna) and Adam Porter-Smith (Cassie) have the coarseness of the stepsisters to a T, and are seen at their best when embarrassing their chosen “boyfriends” and covering them in gunge (protective clothing provided) or figuring in the “If I Was Not in Pantomime” routine.
Interestingly enough, the sense of mischief surfaces in the later stages of the pantomime, including a well-chosen group of kids encouraged to sing a (potentially) naughty song and Eagle, freed from script restraints, lining up the crazy questions. Partnered by Tasha Dowd (Buttons) he has fun with the whole “Singalong” spot. Dowd has been a cheerful presence throughout, notably in their relationship with a sweetly spry Cinderella (Aamira Challenger).
Runs until 4 January 2026
