By Graham Hiley.
If the shoe fits wear it – or in this case, if the show fits watch it.
And you should watch Cinderella at the Chichester Festival Theatre as it is a perfect fit for children and adults alike.
This well-worn tale is given new polish by the Chichester Festival Youth Theatre who put on a slick production which looks every inch a professional show.
At times it was hard to believe it was being performed by youngsters from the 800-strong group of enthusiasts attached to the iconic venue because there was nothing amateur about this.
Considering the range of ages of the cast – from pre-teens to early twenties – this was a stunning success. Julia Cave’s choreography was flawless, the delivery word-perfect and the staging superb.
The script, supplied by Philip Wilson, was excellent, giving a new take on this timeless classic. Don’t expect a cheesy pantomime or a sugary re-make of the classic cartoon – this is a bit different. Not least because there is one hilarious scene more suited to Saw than Disney as the stepmother takes extreme measures to make the slipper fit her daughter’s foot… which is one toe too big!
There is an underlying theme of making a house a home with a modern message from the Prince (Dominic Lacey) who quite reasonably questions why his palace has so many rooms when others are in need of a roof over their heads.
Cinderella was given more of an edge by Annalise Bradbury who not only showed she had a beautiful singing voice but also empowered the character standing up strongly to her stepmother, played just right by Tilly Groves.
Light relief came from the two stepsisters Scarlette Guilfoyle and Daisy Chapman who had perfect chemistry in their raucous rivalry which made for hugely entertaining viewing along with Callum Jurd’s haughty Lord Chancellor. They were backed up strongly by an energetic ensemble which mastered the dance routines seamlessly while also providing strong vocals to Jason Carr’s catchy songs.
But there was still so much more to like about this production from Steve Tiplady’s puppet perfection to Simon Higlett’s set design and Abigail Caywood’s costume designs with many rapid changes of attire, particularly for Cinderella.
The Chichester Festival Youth Theatre perform the Christmas show here every year with tickets selling fast not just to proud parents but to a much wider audience who know they will be seeing a high quality production and possibly some stars in the making.
- Cinderella runs at Chichester Festival Theatre until December 31. Tickets start at £10 from cft.org.uk/events/cinderella
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