Welcome to the Whatsonstage.com Theatre Club


Kirsty Mann as Cinderella
Tweet

Cinderella (Tabard)

Venue: The Tabard Theatre
Where: Outer London
Date Reviewed: 5 December 2011
WOS Rating:

Average Reader Rating:

Reader Reviews: View and add to our user reviews

Bold, slick and bright, this excellent production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella has verve, spirit and panache.

What this fringe venue's in-house musical lacks in budget for costumes is amply made up for with superb casting, a top sound rig and imagination by the pumpkin-load.

Backed by a cracking live band, there are strong vocal performances all round, but special mention goes to Helen Colby, versatile as Cinderella's cranky stepmother coaching her unfortunately named daughters to capture the Prince's heart, also doubling up as the heartwarming, wry cockney Fairy Godmother.

Cinderella's stepsisters themselves - the lisping, scratching, poetry-spouting Grace (Lydia Jenkins) and empty-headed Joy (Kate Scott) - make the funniest onstage double act I've seen in ages.

Kirsty Mann's earnest Cinderella is charming and when she meets nice Prince Christopher (Vlach Ashton) at the ball they harmonise well and share a simple, touching chemistry.

There are also good comic turns from the Prince's mother (Sarah Dearlove), father (Brendan Matthews) and manservant (Josh Carter).

Director Alex Young crafts moments of real magic - the pumpkin carriage, the mice into horses, the dress! - that make this a Cinderella show itself - quality clad in (not quite) rags. Here's to hoping it gets the packed out audience it richly deserves.

- Vicky Ellis

Related Content

Booking Tickets & Show Listings
	Cinderella Listing Page

Reader Reviews

Score	Comment	Date
	This isn��t a panto, but a made-for-TV musical by the masters of the form. It starred Julie Andrews and when it was aired in 1957, some 100,000,000 watched �C 60% of the US population! Though it has been on stage before, outings are rare. I saw a lovely production at Bristol Old Vic almost exactly 8 years ago, but I��m not sure it has been in London in the 30 years I��ve lived here. So off to Turnham Green we go��.. They haven��t changed the age-old story, but it��s stripped down to nine characters, with an excellent Helen Colby here doubling-up as the Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother, and an ensemble of two! The music isn��t their best, but better than much (and certainly better than any panto version I��ve seen) and its played really well here by a 5-piece band (which sounds a lot bigger). Christopher Hone��s design is superb, working wonders with the tiny Tabard Theatre space in very inventive ways that themselves make you smile and Alex Young��s direction is very sure-footed indeed. Kirsty Mann and Vlach Ashton are excellent romantic leads and Brendan Matthew & Sarah Dearlove very good as the King & Queen. I loved the interpretation of Cinderella��s sisters �C Kate Scott as a somewhat manic Joy and Lydia Jenkins with rather more ��attitude�� as Grace. The prince��s Steward Lionel was given a bit of a camp makeover by Josh Carter to good effect. Given the time of year (and this was a matin��e too), this somewhat sophisticated entertainment was played to rather too many young children I��m afraid and the seat kicking, crisp & sweet eating and fidgeting rather wore me down. This is far too good for kids (and in my opinion certainly not suitable for under 7��s) and maybe an evening performance would have been better. That said, congratulations to the Tabard for quality alternative seasonal fare. - Gareth James	06 Dec 11

Write a Review
Give us your opinion on this production, give it a score (1 is low) and a comment
Score:
Comment:
Name:	Required, will appear on website
Email:	Required, will not appear on website
Confirm:	Please type in
	Please enter this number > SEVENTY-EIGHT < Just the two digits only, without any spaces.

Buy Tickets

Click here to visit the Whatsonstage.com Ticket Central

The best availability & the best prices for London theatre.

Free Newsletter

Subscribe to our free newsletter

Featured Video

Twitter

Follow @whatsonstage

Featured Editor's Picks

	X Factor musical titled I Can't Sing!, opens Palladium March 2014 The forthcoming X Factor musical will be called I Can't Sing! The Musical and will premiere at the L...

	To Kill A Mockingbird Twenty years ago, a young Robert Sean Leonard appeared on the London stage with Alan Alda in...

	Tanzi Libre First things first, it's great to see the Southwark Playhouse open again. Set halfway down New...

	*Clint Eastwood on board to direct Jersey Boys* film?** Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood has reportedly been signed up to direct the film version of Jersey B...

	Donmar stages Nick Payne premiere, Wesker's Roots & Tom Hiddleston in Coriolanus The Donmar Warehouse has announced its new season, which features the premiere of Nick Payne's new p...

	Michael Coveney: Big Apple bites and Manhattan memories You should always do new things in familiar cities. Over the past few days in New York, I walked a...

	Podcast: Kendal & co in Relatively Speaking Q&A Last night (21 May 2013), 140 Whatsonstage.com theatregoers attended Relatively Speaking at the West...

	**1st Night Photos: Kimberley Walsh & Denise Van Outen toast Tointon in Relatively Speaking** Strictly Come Dancing stars Kimberley Walsh, Denise Van Outen and Artem Chigvintsev toasted former S...

	ATG acquires Broadway's largest theatre The Foxwoods, home of Spider-Man In another significant step for transatlantic theatre relations, the UK’s biggest theatre ...

	Video: Sheila Hancock shows wild side in Barking in Essex trailer As this new trailer reveals, Sheila Hancock has had a dramatic TOWIE-style makeover for her forthcom...