Cinderella At Fareham Live Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Lilly B
Fareham Live is the eagerly anticipated, brand new premium entertainment venue in the heart of Fareham. Costing £16 million, visitors can expect a state of the art 800 seater auditorium alongside other studios, with ample legroom and unobstructed views throughout. Cinderella is the first pantomime to grace the stage and it certainly opened with a bang! “Oh yes it did!”
What a feast for the senses it was; drama and entertainment throughout, not to mention the sprinkling in Act One! With stunning musical performances, slapstick and comedy gold throughout, audience members were treated to a glorious explosion of colour and sound, an extravagant show spectacular.
A clever casting, with the ever-popular Pritchard brothers, AJ and Curtis as Prince Charming and Dandini. AJ is most well-known for his time on Strictly Come Dancing and Love Island fans will be thrilled to see finalist Curtis! They are joining the hilarious impressionist Paul Burling (Buttons) of ITV Britain’s Got Talent Fame, the “Shocking!” villains we all loved to hate, Gareth Mitchell and Garnon Davies (Euphemia and Lavinia), and the beautiful Rhiannon Bacchus (Cinderella). Joining the cast was Eleanor Wainwright as the stunning Fairy Godmother.
Audiences of all ages couldn’t fail to be entertained, with exciting pyrotechnics, flashes of fire and exciting lighting throughout. The standout star of the show had to be Dandini, the court aid to Prince Charming. He was hilarious and charismatic from start to finish. He, alongside panto sisters royalty Gareth and Garnon, were a clever pairing, with a hilarious fifteen-minute slapstick showdown of “12 Days of Christmas” which had everyone in the audience roaring with laughter. They worked the audience like consummate professionals. “Well lush!” Add Paul Birling into the equation with a comedy set piece and “5 facial creams”, what more could one need? He kept us entertained during the set changes with his outstanding impressions of showbiz favourites such as Michael Macintyre and Alan Carr and the ghosts in the forest scene was simply hilarious.
There were a couple of moments during the panto that really did transport me back to my childhood, to a magical time where imagination met real life and where anything was possible. At the end of Act One there was a beautiful moment, with modern technology utilised to create visual wonder and it was simply stunning.
AJ (Prince Charming) had plenty of moments to showcase his award-winning dancing abilities culminating in a beautiful wedding dance at the end of the show. It was a joy to see him dancing on stage after watching him diligently on Strictly Come Dancing for years. It’s a TENNNNNNNNNNN from me!
The live music led by Musical Director Joe Carter complemented the show perfectly and was a wonderful backdrop to the ensemble who were professional, full of energy and kept the audience entertained during the scene changes.
Don’t miss out. Cinderella is on stage until Sunday 5th Jan. Grab your tickets before they all sell out!
Rating: 5/5
To book tickets, please visit: www.trafalgartickets.com/fareham-live-fareham
Tickets start from £10.00