I didn’t think it was a situation I would be in. A 17 year old in a pantomime, taking part in an ‘oh yes it is’ call and response. But there I was, with all that and more, including getting soaked by a water gun- sorry, a ‘spray tan’.

 

Now, I didn’t sign up for a one-sided water fight- but saying that, I wasn’t mad about it either. 

 

Cinderella is a well known story and fairytale, and this interpretation was directed by Owen Calvert-Lyons and produced by the Theatre Royal themselves. Someone who made the production feel alive, who I later learned was a dame (unsurprising considering his performance) returning for the fifth year, was Chris Clarkson playing the stubborn ugly stepsister Kylie Grizzle- along with the other sister Mylie Grizzle being played by Craig Painting, making an entrance with a dress displaying the full UK flag. With such a double-act, along with Becky Sanneh playing the scheming fame-obsessed stepmother Grizelda Grizzle, I just knew I was going to enjoy the show. 

 

When I was watching the show, a few things struck my interest. First of all, the sparkling translucent curtain. With the disco balls above throwing the lights in different directions, when I walked to my row to take a seat, I had to pause and take a mental note of how pretty the curtain looked. Along with the fact that with the way the art looked, it had to be hand-made... and I’m not artistic in the slightest, so to ME, that’s pretty damn impressive. 

 

The next thing I noticed was what jokes were made within the show. I think something that people don’t necessarily realise about panto is, it’s not only about the ‘It’s BEHIND YOU’ moments for the kids- it’s about the moments of realisation for the older ones when the characters onstage are ‘innocently’ exclaiming how bad living near the beach would be, surrounded by... seamen. You know- fishermen. That’s what they meant. The point being- panto isn’t just for kids. You don’t have to fit the stereotype to enjoy the show, because the show is emphasised on making a special effort to take away any stereotypes you might have in your head in order for you to enjoy it. The jokes included were also relatable, personalised to the time we’re living in right now, especially pandemic jokes featuring in it regularly, along with audience interaction. I couldn’t help but let my guard down and relax into the whole thing.

 

The last and most striking thing to me though, wasn’t actually the show. Of course the show was enjoyable, and it’s a pleasure to write about it. But in my unique circumstances, I was invited to a press night. In other words, the very first public showing of the performance. I felt as if there was a lot of pressure on me, for a number of reasons: the Theatre Royal building is highly respected, so naturally I should (lacking a better word) ‘speak-when-spoken-to’; I didn’t see myself as the target audience at all for a panto so I didn’t feel like I’d fit in or be able to talk to others in the intervals; my college knows I’m doing this and if I mess it up, I might not get another opportunity again. But none of my concerns ended up mattering in the end.

 

Because the most striking part was how genuine everyone was with each other, on and off stage- and how welcoming they were of everyone there. Not only was the cast’s energy onstage infectious so you couldn’t help but laugh, but the attitudes offstage reflected the same joy. Even more than that, the staff organising the guests and more behind the scenes had an identical joy. In a world so full of complications, stress and even lies, I honestly don’t think enough words could be said to explain how refreshing it is to see that even if the cast are acting out words, the words are accompanying already existing happiness by making other people happy too. By being so pure, it was so powerful.

 

So, would I recommend this panto to people my age or younger teenagers? Yeah, I would. And if Mr. Covid allows the same next year, I can only hope more people can let their internal stereotypes and guard down too, so they can let themselves enjoy something even the actors enjoy.

 

The only thing I will say is I had to take notes on soggy paper for the rest of the evening after the spray-tan in the audience. But as long as you’re not writing a review, you should be good to go.