Cinderella At The Regent Theatre Stoke On Trent Review

Reviewed by Rebecca Boden

With Christmas on the horizon, the annual Panto has returned to the Regent Theatre in Hanley, Stoke on Trent after a long break due to Covid and I was excited to be there on the opening night of Cinderella. The Regent Theatre is in the town centre and there is ample car parking within a 5 minute walk. There are also several lovely eateries and bars in the vicinity of the theatre for anyone wanting to make even more of their visit.

I haven’t been to the theatre in over two years, so I was nervous and excited in equal measure. I had a look at the Regent Theatre (and ATG ticket) website before our visit and found information on the Covid safe measures in place at the theatre such as the need for a Covid pass for all adults. This was helpful as some of the information needed to gain a Covid pass needs to be submitted in advance. When we arrived at the theatre, there was a substantial queue outside waiting for their Covid passes to be checked and our hearts sank a little, however the team had a very efficient system and we were into the theatre within five minutes. We visited on the first day of the heightened Government regulations and there were frequent reminders to wear a face covering and ample hand sanitiser available.

When we arrived, we found our seats in the stalls, a few rows back. We were at the end of a row which was great from an accessibility perspective but still had a fantastic view of the stage. Although I have been to the theatre before, I had not noticed the elevation of the rows as they get further back, to ensure a good view for all.

I visited the panto with my husband, our 14-year-old daughter and her friend and I was a little worried that the teenagers may have outgrown the panto, how wrong I was! There was a wealth of adult humour and innuendo peppered throughout, which went completely unnoticed by young children, but our teenagers found this hilarious, as did we.

The headline artists in this year’s panto are Jonny Wilkes and Christian Patterson, a well established partnership, who are synonymous with panto gold and very much household names in the city. Jonny plays the lovable Buttons and acts as a host during the show, while Christian plays the hilarious Dame Hardup. The two have an unmistakeable chemistry and the banter flowed thick and fast. The duo was supported by a talented cast of actors and dancers and the costumes and set were of a really high standard, as you’d expect from a professional performance such as this. There was also plenty of toilet humour and slapstick which appealed to all ages. The story was a modern twist on the fairy-tale classic of Cinderella and included traditional panto songs as well as some familiar pop tunes. Without giving away too many spoilers, young children will find Cinderella’s carriage, which takes her to the ball, a magical highlight and a couple of personal favourite funny moments included a tale about Shirley Shaw, the lip sync battle between Buttons and Dame Hard-up and the 12 days of Christmas song. As a quick public service announcement, if you plan of going and are sitting in the front few rows, I’d advise taking a brolly or your waterproofs.

Jonny Wilkes worked an absolute storm in rallying the audience. There was the usual booing, cheering and sing-alongs but somehow this year it felt different, perhaps being the first show back after Covid. There was an air of sentimentality, which Jonny and co pitched perfectly for the audience and it obviously meant a lot to them all to be back on stage entertaining us all. We all really enjoyed our visit to the panto; it has been a great way to start off our Christmas celebrations. I would definitely recommend for families with children of all ages.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 from us all!

The Regent Theatre, Piccadilly, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 1AP
Box Office Telephone Number: 0333 009 6690

Cindarella runs from Friday 10th December 2021 – Sunday 2nd January 2022.

Tickets available from £13.00 subject to a transaction fee of £3.65

Link to buy tickets: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/cinderella/regent-theatre/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiK6p28Pa9AIVR7TVCh2KmQydEAAYASAAEgJfcvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds