Review: Cinderella at Salisbury Playhouse
After three years of no-go, panto is back in Salisbury and the team at Wiltshire Creative have had a ball creating this festive family favourite - Cinderella.
Bringing all the best bits of panto back to Salisbury Playhouse, this show is full of sparkle, singalongs laughs and participation.
As the curtain lifts, the magic begins as Fairy Showbiz (Jade Johnson) flies in on a shooting star, welcoming the audience back to the panto in Salisbury.
Daniel Goode, who plays the panto dame, gets the audience cheering from the get-go with a hilarious call and response for whenever Lady Stella Hardup appears on stage. Alex Crandon continues the crowd participation with a Del Boy-inspired take on the prince’s aide - of which he does a ‘lovely jubbly’ job.
The ugly stepsisters, played by Lucy Aiston and Fergie Fraser, take on a modern-day persona as Hashtag and Viral - two social media influencers who are hilarious caricatures of internet culture.
Jasmine Triadi and George Olney play a loveable Cinderella and Prince Charming and have the audience cheering for their favourite characters.
The sets from the in-house team at Salisbury Playhouse are colourful, creative and full of sparkle and there are some magical surprises along the way which leave children dazzled by the powers of the Fairy Godmother…
When it comes to singalongs, this year’s panto brings a great combination of timeless favourites and current chart toppers.
A Cinderella spin is put on ‘We are Family’ by Sister Sledge, Kate Bush continues her 2022 conquest with Cinderella taking on a solo of ‘Running up That Hill’ and the iconic Oasis singalong ‘Champagne Supernova’ accompanies a wonderful scene with an impressive set reveal.
There are familiar TikTok dance routines, a cover of Dynamite by the huge Korean boy band BTS and a great end-of-show song about tacos…
As for the script, the theatre’s talented new writing team (Clare Plested, Adam Brown and Amanda Wilsher) have brought this classic tale into the 21st century with relevant references, local jokes and shoutouts to Salisbury businesses.
Children and adults alike are bound to be rolling in the aisles at the brilliant jokes which resonate on multiple levels.
So if you’re looking for a fun, festive and merry night out in Salisbury, get a ticket to the ball.
Cinderella is on at Salisbury Playhouse until 8th January 2023. Tickets are selling fast so book yours now to avoid missing out!
Looking for more of what's on this Christmas, check our our Christmas in Salisbury pages here.
Photos by The Other Richard.