REVIEW: Cinderella at The New Theatre
It’s Christmas time, which can only mean one thing - panto time! This year, the New Theatre is presenting the classic, and much loved tale of Cinderella.
Everyone knows the story of Cinderella: beautiful girl whose father marries a wicked woman who, along with her two ugly daughters, make Cinderella’s life miserable, treating her as their personal maid.
There is finally a moment of happiness for Cinderella (played by Denquar Chupak) when she meets Prince Charming (Gethin Jones) in the forest and they hit it off. Later, the King invites the whole kingdom to a ball, but Cinderella's evil step-mother, Baroness Voluptua Fortuna (Mike Doyle) makes her destroy her invitation.
Luckily for Cinderella, she has a fairy godmother who makes her wish of going to the ball come true, but she has to go home at midnight. As she races out of the door, she leaves a single shoe behind, which the Prince must use to track her down. Will he succeed, or does the Baroness’s plan work out?
Also starring in this production are Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans as Dandini, who is perhaps most known for his record-breaking drumathon for Children in Need, Stephanie Webber as the Fairy Godmother and Jack Ryan as Buttons.
TV and radio presenter Gethin Jones stars as the the iconic Prince Charming who wins Cinderella’s heart. I wasn’t aware of Gethin’s talents in the theatre - he smashed it. His voice was great, and his chemistry with the other cast, especially Owain (as Dandini) and Jack (as Buttons) was hilarious.
Panto royalty Mike Doyle is obviously back as the best panto dame in Wales, but this year he has gone bad. He portrays the Baroness Voluptua Fortuna, and I must say, I was worried we would miss out on the iconic Mike Doyle silliness with him being a villain, so I was very happy to see we didn’t. It was actually a really nice switch up, and he played the part brilliantly - although I think the audience struggled now having to boo him!
We attended on the 118th Birthday of the New Theatre, and it was so lovely to see how proud all the staff and cast were to be there. Stephen Stockton, the theatre director said: “To continue the long tradition of pantomine is one of the most important responsibilities that we at New Theatre Cardiff have. It’s really exciting to have so much Welsh talent this year, in a pantomine, in the capital city of Wales.”
As always in panto, the sets were so picturesque, portraying a lovely fairy tale land every child dreams of living in. The sets and props team did an amazing job.
One of my favourite parts had to be the special moment when Cinderella gets in her carriage to go to the ball. No spoilers, but my jaw was on the floor. It was such a beautiful and magical moment that the team executed perfectly. I was in awe, and would recommend going to see the show purely for that moment!
My favourite part in every panto is the 12 Days of Christmas. I love seeing the whole cast just have so much fun and be silly. You can tell the cast have so much fun throughout the whole thing anyway, but it feels more real during this song, and in particular this year, the tongue twister scene.
I love panto, and every year the New Theatre puts on an amazing show that gets everyone into the Christmas spirit. There are jokes for kids and adults alike, so it truly is just a brilliant family night out.
Cinderella is in the New Theatre until Saturday 7 January 2025 - right through the festive period! Make sure to get your ticket for this hilarious and brilliant performance. Tickets are available by ringing 0343 310 0041 or by clicking here.
Review by Sophie Platt
We received free tickets for this performance in exchange for an honest review
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