Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review
The magic of panto returns to the Theatre Royal in Nottingham with Crossroads returning for this year's offering of Cinderella. This sparkling offering is sure to delight all ages throughout the festive season.
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| Craig Revel Horwood as Baroness Demonica Hardup and the Company. Photo by Whitefoot Photography |
Written by Harry Michaels and Alan McHugh with additional material by Matt Slack, this is a production that is filled with dazzling staging, stunning costumes and classy entertainment that keeps you hooked throughout.
Our story, set in a fictionalised Nottingham, begins as we meet the beautiful Fairy Godmother, played by the extremely talented Christina Bianco. She sets the scene before we're swept off to Hardup Hall and the classic Cinderella tale begins. The traditional beats of the story are met, but with fun originality thrown in along the way that keeps it feeling fresh.
Taking centre stage in the production this year is Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood as the villainous Baroness Demonica Hardup. Cue many of his entrances, including the Strictly theme song and many mentions littered throughout to either his famous catchphrases (A-MAZ-ING or FAB-U-LOUS) or dance references. Horwood excels in the role; he has a brilliantly evil glint in his eye and delivers the role with real care to the details. His vocals are stunning, too. In his first scene, he belts out Queen's 'Don't Stop Me Now', but the vocal standout comes as the character meets her comeuppance and sings a stunning version of 'My Way'.
Neil Hurst is a treat to watch as Buttons. He has an instant warmth that gets you onside as an audience member. Sure, some of the jokes are the standard pantomime level of corny, but the delivery of them makes you laugh. Hurst always feels one line away from either going off script or causing someone to corpse, but any lapses or mistakes he makes, he superbly covers up with a gleeful smile. He bounces off his fellow cast members well, there are some great moments alongside Revel Horwood. He also shows the sweet, endearing side to the character, including a beautiful duet with his childhood teddy bear titled 'Teddy Says Yes' written by Alex Norton.
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| Neil Hurst as Buttons. Photo by Whitefoot Photography. |
Christina Bianco is ever gorgeous in her Fairy Godmother costume and relishes every second on the stage. Those unfamiliar with Bianco's work need to delve into her socials to discover just what a talent she is and her impressions are outstanding. In the second act, she gets two sequences where she gets to show off these skills, including a version of 'Tomorrow' from Annie, going through an impressive array of voices from Adele, Britney Spears, Shakira and more.
Elly Jay is a lovely Cinderella. She has the right sweetness and charm, but with strength inside and also great vocals. Jay is well paired with Stephen Ardern-Sodje's Prince Charming. Their relationship is warm and builds wonderfully. Daniel Norford supports well as Dandini. Aiding the prince and enchancing the storyline.
Britt Lenting (Claudia Hardup) and May Tether (Tess Hardup) play the two Step Sisters. Their looks are impressively created and they clearly are enjoying the roles, but in truth, they are massively underused and kept in the shadow of Craig's role as the Baroness. Neither really gets their fair time to shine and are constricted to supporting parts.
Credit must also go to the 8-piece ensemble, who are all clearly talented dancers and excel with Alan Burkitt's choreography. Adding extra flair to the musical numbers, the company work hard throughout.
There are many highlights in the show. There's a hilarious scene as the Prince tries to woo Cinderella, sitting on a wall with a rendition of Bryan Adams' classic '(Everything I Do) I Do It For You', much to the disdain of Buttons. This becomes increasingly chaotic as the characters push each other off the wall. There's the Panto staple of 'If I Were Not At Hardup Hall' involving Buttons, the Baroness and the two sisters. This plays off with high energy and stupidity that lands well. Of course, there's magic and wonder too, and the transformation scene wows as the carriage flies over the audience.
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| Christina Bianco as Fairy Godmother. Photo by Whitefoot Photography. |
Having a 5-piece live band, under the musical direction of Gavin Whitworth, is a treat and adds to the whole experience. Although at times the sound balance is a little off and the sound of the music feels like it's competing with the voices of the company rather than both complementing each other.
The visual spectacle begins as soon as you enter the auditorium, with the use of Alex Marshall's lighting design to set the tone. This lighting really helps you feel a sense of emotion, be that in magical moments or moments that are more edgy and darker. Ian Westbrook's set wows, each set piece looks magnificent and is clearly well created by the craftspeople who paint, build and maintain the sets. Teresa Nalton's costumes are consistently impressive throughout. The transformation dress doesn't quite wow until the second act, where it is completely different.
All in all, this is a fabulous production that wraps you up with magic, comedy and heart. It is Strictly big family entertainment that perfectly encapsulates everything about why pantomime remains relevant and important. Make sure tonight truly belongs to you and head to Nottingham for this festive treat.
Cinderella plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Sunday 4th January 2026. Tickets are available from https://trch.co.uk/
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| The cast of Cinderella. Photo by Whitefoot Photography. |
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