Reviewed by Catherine Joyce
We’re great fans of The Dukes theatre who always manage to come up with something a bit different for their annual Christmas production. We have been to a number of their Christmas shows over the years and they really do seem to get better and better each year. I always think that the Christmas production is a great opportunity to introduce children to the theatre, so we took our 11 year old nephew with us for an early Christmas treat and also to give a child’s opinion of the performance. This was the first time he had visited The Dukes and he was really excited about having a night out without his brothers and sisters. We decided to make it more of a treat and picked him up from school, followed by tea in Lancaster before the performance. The city offers a wide range of venues for pre or post show food and drinks so we really were spoilt for choice.
The theatre is in the centre of Lancaster with plenty of parking nearby, so it was easy to find a place to park. The car park we used was only a few minutes’ walk away from the theatre and has an evening rate of £1.50 after 6pm.
The story starts with Ella as a baby, puppets are used to portray young Ella and this works incredibly well. With a cast of only five, each person plays multiple roles, but costume changes are fast and the story flows well. Initially Michael Hugo plays Ella’s father but makes a speedy on-stage transformation from a loving and gentle father into the hard and cruel wicked stepmother. His voice and onstage presence were perfect and he was great fun to watch.
It wouldn’t be Cinderella without the ugly sisters, but for a change Cinderella has a brother and sister. It works really well because the actors playing Ella’s new brother and sister were amazing, each was funny in their own way but together they were a hilarious double act and such a grotesque pair. They were just as scared of their mother as Ella but prepared to go along with her plans just to make their lives easier. It was a nice change to see Ella getting one over on them early in the performance, much to the disgust of their mother. Helen Longworth’s facial expressions as the sister were fantastic and her attempts at wooing the prince truly hilarious. It has to be said though that her brother was much better at the girlie stuff, earning Craig Anderson some great laughs and his character a chance to win the prince’s heart!
In keeping with the traditional tale, Ella is forced to sleep by the fireplace and wants to go to the ball but in this version. it is the magical birds that she befriends in the forest who help, rather than her fairy godmother. With her best party dress and Doc Marten boots she really is the belle of the ball. Riana Duce and Waleed Hammad had great chemistry as Ella and the prince and there are some great gory scenes when the prince is trying to find the owner of the boot. I won’t say what happens as it will spoil the show, but it really appealed to my nephew and he said that was his favourite part of the show!
In such an intimate theatre the set, lighting and sound are vital to placing the story and setting the mood of each scene. Bird sounds were used whenever Ella took to the forest, with the actors providing many of these and I thought the sounds of plates breaking and socks tearing were done especially well. Music throughout the show added highlights and structure to each scene; the lyrics were funny and well written and good to listen to.
Cinderella – A Fairytale is suitable for all ages, although be warned there are a few darker moments in the story, but my nephew said these added to the fun. It is an unusual take on a well-known story, and we loved it!
Yet again director Sarah Punshan and The Dukes team have come up with a cracking Christmas show that you really must see. It is performing at The Dukes until the 11th January and is a great way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £11.50 to £22 (booking fees may apply).
Cinderella: A Faiytale is at The Dukes in Lancaster from 22 November 2019 to 11 January 2020, for more information or to book tickets visit www.dukes-lancaster.org or call the box office on 01524 598500.
The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 1QE | 01524 598500
