I have to admit, panto season is one of my favourite times of year What other time can you go to the theatre as a family and leave crying with laughter and full of so much joy that you want to spend the rest of the week shouting 'It's behind you!" whenever your child asks where their socks are. Going to the panto has always been a tradition in our family. Being massive theatre lovers, it makes sense to head down to our local theatre each Christmas and soak up the magic on stage. This year the Lighthouse at Poole put on a star studded performance of Cinderella, and boy was it a star of a show!
(Pictures courtesy of Richard Budd)
After last year's panto of Aladdin that literally blew me away, I went into Cinderella with high expectations. With the same team of Duncan Reeves behind it, I hoped that the rags to riches tale would leave me filled with joy. And I can certainly say that it exceeded expectations. Packed with everything that you know and love in a panto, we were sat in our seats shouting and singing along whilst roaring with laughter throughout.
The superb casting gave us everything from a Cinderella that we instantly loved (played by Lucy-Jane Quinlan) and rooted for throughout, to a Buttons that definitely stole the audiences hearts (played by Ethan Lawrence). Both impressed me with their singing and on stage friendship that truly transported me. I loved the comedic scenes between them that truly showed off how many talents they have!
The Fairy Godmother (played by Lucy Kay) had the voice of an angel and left the audience sat in silence by her breathtaking singing in the enchanted forest scene. And you can't have a panto without the ugliest of step sisters Ivanka and Ivana (played by Jay Worthy and Miles Western) who left me in fits of laughter at their crude jokes and outlandish outfits.
The rest of the cast have to be congratulated too. From Richard Gibson playing the Baron, to the youth team who blew me away with their talents at such a young age. The casting really did tick all the boxes and Max came away telling me he couldn't wait until he was old enough to audition. One of my favourites was definitely the adorable miniature ponies that were on stage to help pull the carriage. I've definitely found what I want for Christmas!
The rest of the cast have to be congratulated too. From Richard Gibson playing the Baron, to the youth team who blew me away with their talents at such a young age. The casting really did tick all the boxes and Max came away telling me he couldn't wait until he was old enough to audition. One of my favourites was definitely the adorable miniature ponies that were on stage to help pull the carriage. I've definitely found what I want for Christmas!
The story itself was the perfect blend of traditional pantomime mixed with modern elements to keep things fresh. I was blown away by the tap dancing scene to an Ed Sheeran hit, whilst Max absolutely loved the glow in the dark ghosts and ghouls that the youth performers handled. Everyone that was sat around us came out loving something different from everyone else. It's a sign of a top panto when you can hear the chorus of people saying how much they loved it.
One of the things I love most about panto is how interactive it is. Max is a bit of an outgoing character and whilst he is more than happy to sit quietly through a show or musical, whenever there is an opportunity to laugh and cheer he gets involved! This year was no exception, especially as he seemed to have made a bit of a name for himself. With shouts of "it's behind you!" and "booo!" he was filled with glee the whole way through. Kid's are definitely the best critics when it comes to pantomimes and Max certainly gave it a thumbs up.
I came away from the Lighthouse with a massive grin on my face and a sore tummy from laughing so much. The joy of going to a panto is something that is an age old tradition, and it really doesn't ever seem to get old. Congratulations Lighthouse for blowing us away yet again with an amazing show. How you will top this show I don't know, but you are definitely the belles of the ball!
Cinderella is showing at the Lighthouse, Poole until the 6th January. For more information and to buy tickets please click here.
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