Review: Wolverhampton Grand Panto is back in style with Cinderella
It's a reason to celebrate. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre's pantomime is back – and it is fantastic.
Cinderella has come a year late. But after a terrible 18 months for theatre, it is heart-warming to see music and laughter fill The Grand once again.
This year's panto is hilariously funny, filled with talented vocal performances, a wonderfully bright and creative set and littered with mind-blowing dance routines straight from the Strictly ballroom.
CBeebies presenter Evie Pickerill stars as Cinderella and she is the ultimate fairytale princess.
The Kinswingford-born actress, who attended Thomas Telford School, is the perfect choice. Not only does Evie look like a Disney princess, she is a talented actress, singer, and dancer, but she also has an ability to connect with the princess-dress wearing audience members who have been dying to see their CBeebies idol in the flesh.
And it's not just Evie who captures the audience's attention – enter the charismatic sibling duo AJ and Curtis Pritchard, whose family own a dance studio near Whitchurch in Shropshire, as they bring this fairytale to the ballroom.
AJ, of Strictly fame, is in the role of the dashing Prince Charming, while Curtis, who is known from Love Island, is playing loveable sidekick, Dandini. A really funny moment was when Dandini (Curtis) fluffed his lines and handled it with a real comic flare that got the audience roaring with laughter.
Interaction with the audience is essential in panto and none of the cast is as effective at this as Cinderella's sidekick Buttons played by Tam Ryan.
He really is the star of the show – his witty references to the 'posh people in the box from Tettenhall' to the jokes about the Black Country accent and his one-to-one interaction with individual audience members were beyond impressive.
The cast also includes singer-songwriter Denise Pearson, of Five Star, as the Fairy Godmother. She's the strongest vocal performer of the cast and her rendition of A Moment Like This brings the entire theatre to a halt.
The most belly-laugh inducing scenes involved Buttons and Dame Penny Pockets, played by Ian Adams. In one scene with Dandini they do an hilarious rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas, which is fast-paced, full of fun and ends up with the audience singing about 'five toilet rolls'.
In another scene, Buttons and the Dame are joined by the evil Baroness Hardup, played by Julie Stark, to perform Ghostbusters, and it is here again the experience, wit and comic timing of these actors really shine through.
Then you've got Tess and Claudia Hardup, as Cinderella's step-sisters, along with their mother the Baroness, drawing out the loudest 'boos' from the audience. A highlight was when the sisters focus their sights on two unwitting audience members, making everyone grin from ear to ear.
Fortunately, like most pantomimes, this one has a happy ending and Cinderella and Prince Charming live happily ever after.
The Grand has got a real hit on its hands with this show – it's full of talent, fun and comic genius.
It opened on Saturday and runs until January 9. The Grand has also announced that next year's magical pantomime will be Aladdin.The magic carpet ride for the whole family will run at the popular Wolverhampton theatre between Saturday, December 3, 2022, and Saturday, January 7, 2023.
Visit grandtheatre.co.uk to book.
