Review: CINDERELLA, Liverpool Everyman Theatre

It just wouldn’t be the festive season without The Liverpool Everyman Rock ‘n’ Roll Pantomime - and it’s easy to see why this beloved show has audiences returning year after year.

Written by Luke Barnes and directed by James Baker, this year’s production of Cinderella is a five-star, fun-filled evening of magic and music. If you want a masterclass in pantomime, this is it.

Barnes’ script takes the traditional story of Cinderella and adds a fresh new take on the tale, complete with lots of songs, a few surprising plot twists and a beautiful message about being true to yourself and doing what makes you happy.

It’s a refreshing interpretation of the story in a stunning, fast-paced production that has you singing and dancing (and laughing!) the night away from start to finish. I didn’t want it to end!

Cinderella opens with the phenomenal vocals of Ben Welch as Dame Fairy Godmother, who bursts onto the stage in an energetic opening number that sets the bar high for the rest of the evening. With songs performed and instruments played by the multi-talented cast, there were plenty of musical treats in store for the audience - from pop classics, to surprise mash-ups of hits and more.

The show goes from strength to strength, with Everyman pantomime favourite Adam Keast returning as Fairy Godmother in training Graham, who provides much hilarity throughout. I was glad I was wearing waterproof mascara, as Keast and Welch left me in tears of laughter. From their antics as fake event organisers for the Queen’s ball, to their quick one-liners during the around the world search for Cinderella (complete with a hilarious scene involving walkie talkies and a clever play on words in the dialogue), Welch and Keast are comedy gold.

The levels of comedy make the heartwarming moments even more powerful, with Keast turning my tears of laughter into genuine tears of emotion as he delivered a beautiful rendition of True Colours. The moment is like receiving a warm hug from your own Fairy Godmother and was genuinely inspiring to watch.

Speaking of inspiring, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse are known for supporting the next generation of talent - including Grace Venus who wows as Ellanora (a.k.a. Cinderella). The current LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) student balances both the comedy and drama of the story perfectly in her performance. Venus provided laugh out loud moments, including her scenes in act one alongside some puppets (who I do wish we saw a lot more of throughout the show) and jumping out on her family to surprise them. Venus was also a joy to watch as she delivered incredible performances of songs including "Creep", "Wing"s and "It's My Life".

Every member of the cast gave the production their all - whether it was the breathtaking vocals of Aminita Francis as The Queen or Zoe West’s villain Mr Ooglay who not only left me roaring with laughter, but also impressed with some superb guitar playing in the second act. Joining them was Thomas Fabian Parrish as Prince Charming, who provided lots of amusement with his dance moves during the ball and puns during the door to door search for Cinderella. Completing the cast were Folarin Akinmade as Dench Ooglay and Rebecca Levy as Judi Ooglay, whose interaction with the audience - including one attendee called Brian who in true Everyman style was called upon by the characters to help during moments of the story - was fun to watch and made the story even more magical for the audience.

These moments of magic twinkle throughout the show in Isla Shaw’s clever set design too. During the line “beautiful like a rainbow” in the song "True Colours", the heart shaped stage lights up above Venus and Keast, which is spectacular to see. Then during the 90s dance classic "Boom, Boom, Boom", the doors transform into changing rooms as Dench and Judi try to find outfits for the Queen’s ball. With puns even written onto the boxes in the cellar of the Ooglay’s home, the attention to detail was well thought out and was the icing on the cake in an already brilliant production.

Combine this with one of the most dazzling costume changes I have ever seen during Cinderella’s dress reveal for the ball (thanks to flawless costume design once again from Isla Shaw), it is like stepping inside a real life fairytale.

If you want the must see pantomime of the season, look no further than Cinderella at the Liverpool Everyman.

The Everyman Rock 'n' Roll Pantomime: Cinderella is at The Liverpool Everyman Theatre until Saturday 20 January 2024.

Photo credits: Marc Brenner

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