UK Theatre Network

Cinderella
Milton Keynes Theatre
Reviewed on Monday 7th December 2009 by Catherine Brian

Having had to miss last year’s panto, we were determined to get there this year.  And we’re glad we did as we really enjoyed the whole evening.

I don’t think this year’s Cinderella will ever win Panto of the year, but it does its job admirally and the 6 yr old we took with us thoroughly enjoyed every minute, which is the whole point really.  We left the theatre happy and laughing and thinking about how funny and talented Bobby Davro is, and what a shame he is billed as being “star of Eastenders” as if he has never had any other career.  Bring back variety entertainment!

The set and the costumes were really impressive and pretty and did not disappoint throughout.  The Ugly Sisters costumes were, as they should be, fabulous,  each one making a statement being more outrageous as the evening progressed.

There is a bit of strange casting, but I guess First Family Entertainment know who puts bums on seats.  Really and truly, Mickey Rooney as Baron Hardup is past it. It’s a shame really, as he is a Hollywood and Vaudeville legend, and sometimes it’s better to leave it at that.  He looked like a bumbling dirty old man on the few occasions he managed to get himself on stage, and it was always a worry for the audience that he would remember what he was supposed to say.  He performs a number towards the beginning of act 1 – I say “performs a number”, as you couldn’t really call it singing by any stretch of the imagination.

We had an “alternate” Prince Charming – very odd on Press Night – Anthony Kavanagh.  The real Prince Charming was apparently otherwise engaged on our Press Night. (Why would you cast a ‘C’ list celebrity who can’t do the whole run??) Mr Kavanagh isn’t a very good alternate though.  He can’t sing in tune and can’t act. He kind of did the job to keep the kids happy, but really, I think an actor or musical theatre performer currently between jobs would have made a far better alternate and no doubt have been cheaper to hire.
 
On the plus side, Anthea Turner pulls it out of the bag.  I wasn’t expecting much, and clearly she is no actress, but what she is, is very clever, as she knows her strengths and plays to them.  Her wand is a feather duster and she wears impossibly high heels – which kind of says it all really.








Local girl Louise Dearman from Leighton Buzzard, plays Cinderella brilliantly.  Louise has worked in Musical Theatre all her life, both on tour and in the West End and it was nice, after the MK Theatre publicity machine building her up all year, including starring in her own celebrity evening of entertainment to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of MK Theatre, that she was able to spend Christmas at home and be a wonderful leading lady to boot.  She sings beautifully, as I’m sure I’ve said in many a review, if only Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan could hear Louise sing they’d realise that the wee Scottish lady can’t really sing that well at all.

Chris Nelson as Dandini was very good – he’s funny, he’s talented, he’s appealing and I’m sure he has a great future ahead of him - but I’m not so sure he looks the part of Dandini.  He’s not how I imagine your average Dandini looking.  He looked nothing like Prince Charming – surely part of the plot is that they exchange places and Dandini becomes the Prince – how believable that is in this instance is questionable.

Chris Dennis and David Langham played colourful Ugly Sisters.  I’m not sure I warmed totally to them.  I preferred the short one – Chris Dennis - purely because I thought David Langham’s portrayal was way too near the mark. David Langham is really very tall.






Bobby Davro was, as I expected he would be, was very funny indeed.  He knows his job and does it wonderfully.  There was a slow boring bit at the beginning when makes his first entrance with a shopping trolley, but I suspect it has to stay as it advertises the sponsors, Robinsons.  (Panto was much more fun when the sponsors were Cadbury’s!) There were a couple of bits that I thought were a bit near the mark and really should have been cut.  The kangaroo at the end of Act 2 was hilarious.  Worth going to see this pantomime for that one 10 minute set if nothing else.

When I say things are too near the mark, I totally take on board that they will go over the heads of the 4, 5 and 6 year olds, but I doubt once today’s children get to 7 or so, that these jokes will go unnoticed.  Maybe I’m too traditional, but a couple of times I felt uncomfortable, and I know some grandparents who went who also felt uncomfortable.  I think it’s unnecessary for this smut to be in family entertainment.

The pantomime also has the totally unnecessary appearances by the winners of the MK’s Got Talent shows – Holly Brewer is the Fairy Assistant  - have you ever heard of the fairy having an assistant before? Adam Gates is MC Domo – he does a 16 bar rap at the beginning of the ball scene in Act 2.  I had to have it explained to me why he was there and who he was.
 
There is a capable chorus of 8 dancers but why is it that these days the male pantomime dancers always seem to be the campest male dancers from the audition?  I want to see manly macho male dancers, so that when they dance with the girls they look like couples.  It’s not their physical strength, more how they hold themselves and look.

Finally, there is an able juvenile chorus of babes – but they are so under-utilised it’s hard to know why they weren’t just dispensed with – or maybe it’s just tradition.

The Shetland Ponies are nice but again, totally wasted.  Why weren’t they walked around the stage? Why did they enter upstage, only to be walked prompt side of centre stage and then walked off as the curtain fell?  What a waste.  I’m not sure half the children would have noticed them if their relevant adults hadn’t pointed them out.

As I said at the beginning, this is a very funny enjoyable evening – surely the proper Prince Charming will be able to sing so make sure you go when he’s on – I think he’s on all the time from around 20th December. 

As a pantomime, it ticks all the boxes - it looks good, it’s funny, it’s professional and we left feeling happier than before we went.  At 2 and a half hours, it’s a tad on the long side for the little ones, and our 6 year old was ready for her bed by the time it finished.

Cinderella plays Milton Keynes Theatre from Friday 4th December 2009 until Sunday 17th January 2010.  Tickets range from £17 to £26 with family, school and group discounts available.  Milton Keynes Theatre Box Office: 0844 871 7652 (bkg fee)or go to the website http://www.ambassadortickets.com/Milton-Keynes-Theatre

Reviewed by Catherine Brian at Milton Keynes Theatre on Monday 7th December 2009