Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Sammy Winward, Crissy Rock, Sarah White, Warren Donnelly, Lewis Devine, Andrew Geater, Samantha Palin.
Senior Dancers: Abi Gibbs, Ellie May Fook, Mia Gibbons, Olivia Smith, Marcus Grimaldi, Ryan James Abbott.
Cinderella, the heroine to whom we all perhaps first fall in love with on our first trip to the theatre has fallen foul of her Ugly Sisters’ wrath and bitterness, the guiltless and faultless young woman is given no chance to shine in her own right and as each child understands, the ugly of heart must never prosper, they must be taught a lesson to play fair.
It is in this reminder to all that the wonderfully produced, and in many ways innovative, theatrical production, that audiences return to the land of Prince Charming, the jokes and silliness of Buttons and the hoped for downfall of Cinderella’s step sisters, whilst all the time being mesmerised by the nature of the story and the dancing of the hard-working local children to whom the Epstein Christmas show frames and captures as one of the best examples of community in action.
In what is her debut appearance in pantomime, Sammy Winward encapsulated the delight of Cinderella, the magic of the innocent led to a path in which will change their lives, and with an incredibly strong cast surrounding her, including the superb Warren Donnelly as Dandini and Lewis Devine as Buttons, the enchantment, the thrill and the danger bound together to create a panto that is gleeful and full of pleasure.
For the family, for the young and old alike, panto is meant to be a time when magic can happen, the expectation is high, however, when a play hits the heights, anybody can feel as though it is their first time, for the feeling of the magical journey never goes away, it stays with you and reminds you that there is so much more to the time of year that being consumed by spending cash on something that will break, that time teaching the young the value of theatre, art and family is more important to society.
A beautifully produced Christmas Pantomime, Cinderella at the Epstein Theatre is regal and magnificent.
Ian D. Hall