Writer: The Brothers Grimm
Adapter: Nick Lane
Music and Lyrics: Simon Slater
Director: Gemma Fairlie
A look at the cast-list tells you this is no ordinary Cinderella. At three or four characters per actor, plus various unlisted parts, there are Ratface, Filania, Blob and Flarf – and Charming isn’t even a prince! At least there’s Cinderella sneaking in at the bottom of the list. This is evidently one of Nick Lane’s nuttier versions of well known tales which always begin somewhere totally unexpected.
In an odd recollection of Clarence earning his wings in It’s a Wonderful Life, the plot centres on apprentice fairy godmother Mandy (except you can’t call her that until she’s been accepted by the Chief Fairy) trying to sort out Cinderella’s problems. The Chief Fairy gives her this task and promises to help her along with two camp gentleman-fairies. Cinderella is chosen from among the theatre’s ushers and we’re off on the expected story.
Except we’re not! To begin with Cinderella lives a happy home life along with Mum and Dad. Mum is an explorer and sets off to the land beyond Beyond and is not heard of for years. Dad remarries an appalling harridan with two daughters and she has him shipped off to jail (to make it worse, in Brid!). The Prince (named Flarf by the seagull-obsessed father after the noise they make) only relates to his horse Malcolm. Other variations to the Brothers Grimm include Mandy losing her wand, Filania (that’s the appalling harridan) picking it up and briefly gaining magical powers, the land beyond Beyond turning out to be Santa’s grotto at Boyes’ store and the Prince marrying his horse.
Gemma Fairlie’s hectic direction is aided by Helen Coyston’s inspired work with costumes and the cast’s ability to quicker-than-quick-change. Lucy Keirl is splendidly eager as Mandy and among her other roles is Queen Delia, dominant, with cut glass vowels, ignoring the vapourings about seagulls of the ineffectual King Dean – Roger Parkins in one of a series of parts, including Dad (with a moustache, as he proudly points out) and a gluttonous Ugly Sister.
The whole thing teeters on the brink of pantomime, with a pair of Dames – David Fallon is the idiotically “cool” Sister as well as Flarf, seldom seen except on horseback. Sarah Pearman, the Chief Fairy, is a straightforwardly heroic Mum and a dastardly Filania. And Eve De Leon Allen is as cheerful and indomitable a Cinderella as you could wish to meet.
With a monster pumpkin and assorted, very large animals there is plenty to involve the little ones and Simon Slater supplies jolly, nicely in character songs to break up the frantic goings-on, though, come to think of it, some of the songs are pretty frantic, too.
Runs until 31st December 2022.
The Reviews Hub Score
Frantic
