Pantomime Review: Cinderella - Richmond Theatre ✭✭✭✭
Cinderella
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| Chris Jarvis as Buttons (L) and Rhiannon Chesterman as Cinderella Photo - Craig Sugden |
Richmond Theatre
Thursday 10th December 2015: It was two pantos in two days for me this week, and after enjoying Peter Pan in Wimbledon, it was the turn of Richmond to dazzle me with their annual spectacular - and dazzle it indeed do!
First Family Entertainment are yet again providing theatre go-ers with an array of festive fun this year, and Richmond is no exception. Cinderella is one of the most traditional pantomimes, and certainly one of the most played up and down the country with its appeal reaching out to young and old alike.
Writer Eric Potts has done a good job adding up to date songs and references throughout the show, and Chris Jarvis as Buttons (and also Director this year) has injected energy and laughs along the way. From the opening pyrotechnics for Hayley Mills entrance as Fairy Godmother, the audience were in for a treat.
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| Matthew Kelly and Matt Rixon Photo - Craig Sugden |
There's some very good singing in this show, Rhiannon Chesterman's Cinderella is fabulous along side Andrew Derbyshire's Prince Charming - it's good to have some West End presence in the fray to keep the numbers rattling along.
There are funny routines, old routines, sketches you will either love or hate as you have seen them many times before, but they make you chuckle because you know what is coming next. And Cinderella isn't complete without a transformation scene at the end of Act One, of which this one is slick and visually attractive with the entrance of Shetland Ponies.
A fine job all round, and a highly entertaining show. Book your festive tickets before it's too late.
Four Stars ✭✭✭✭
Cinderella is on at Richmond Theatre until Sunday 10 January 2016
www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre/
