Cinderella At The Regent Theatre Stoke On Trent Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by H Chan

It’s Christmas, and that means that there is a panto on the horizon (Oh yes there is). For twenty-one years, Jonathan Wilkes has been entertaining those who visit the Stoke Regent, and it was been ten years for Kai Owen! It is clear that they have a lot of love for the community, which shines through in their comments and how they address the audience.

I was lucky enough to be invited for opening night, on what happens to be National Panto Day! The Regent was fantastic, as always, but very busy so if attending be sure to arrive with lots of time to find where you need to be as the lift can get quite a queue just before the show. I attended with my husband and three children, ages 16, 13 and 10. They all enjoyed their evening, and there was something in the show for everyone. The cast this year is of such a high standard, we could have watched them all night. At the Regent, the stalls and circle slope upwards so that everyone gets a great view, I do want to add though, that towards the back of the stalls, under the overhang, there can be a bit of a sound trap. If anyone in the audience is talking nearby, the sound is sometimes louder than the people talking on stage, so that’s something to consider when booking.

This classic story follows Cinderella, played by Kirsty Ingram, as she finds her way from kitchen maid to princess, helped along the way by her best friend Buttons, played by Jonathan Wilkes. We have seen Kirsty in another show, and she has the most beautiful voice, perfect for playing Cinderella. Cinderella’s two ugly stepsisters are the classic panto villains, and were played by Amanda Coutts and Rebecca McKinnis. They were excellent stepsisters, lively, over the top and full of adult jokes (many which went over the heads of my youngest, but you should have seen the faces of my teens. Proper, did they just say that out loud, faces). Ben Oatley played Prince Charming, he really was charming, and we felt that he should have had a little more stage time. Our favourite scene included the prince, Buttons and Cinderella in a hilarious rendition of Everything I do, I do it for you.

The fairy Godmother was glamorous and added sparkle to the show, Rhiane Drummond gave a flawless performance this evening, again it would have been nice for her also to have a little more stage time.

The singing was brilliant, we did wish there was more of it, but the overall show was balanced with the story scenes and comedy relief, which was provided by Buttons and the Prince’s aide Dandini, played by Kai Owen. Costumes were vibrant and colourful, and the sets and scenes wonderful!

The story was simple, and followed the basic narrative, whilst it was entertaining and well written, there wasn’t too much of it and the gaps between scenes filled with humour and sketches. Kai and Jonathan have excellent stage presence and their working relationship had an amazing energy to it, their back and forths onstage had the audience grinning from ear to ear.

This panto mixed traditional storytelling with current songs and jokes on trend. The dancing was well rehearsed and we loved the choreography. Audience participation is of a high standard; the Regent’s cast excelled in getting those watching involved throughout the show. It wouldn’t be a panto without it!

Of course they did Twelve Days of Christmas, and it was an absolute hoot. Pure chaos and a clear audience favourite. A few of them actually fell over, which I don’t think was meant to happen but they still carried on the song, giggling away! It was so funny.

We gave this panto 4 ½ out of 5. Whilst we did love the comedy, the dancing and the singing, we felt there needed to be a bit more to the actual story. We had lots of fun, and left feeling festive and cheery.

For an opening night, the show was really polished. The cast were enthusiastic; positive and the show had a lot of heart. It lost half a star only because we thought that there could have been a little more to the actual story, perhaps an extra scene of song to bring it together and it would have been perfect.

Tickets can be found here https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/cinderella-pantomime/regent-theatre/ and begin at £15. It runs until Jan 4th, and offers two performances a day. Grab your tickets whilst you can, you won’t regret it! Oh no you won’t!

Rating: 4.5/5