If the passing of the ‘X Factor’ final has left a Cheryl and Dannii-shaped hole in your life, take a trip to Greenwich Theatre’s panto, where ‘Cheryl’ (Andrew Pollard) and ‘Dannii’ (Paul Critoph) run riot in the form of Cinderella's ugly stepsisters. The pair garner more giggles than boos as classic panto dame wit marries happily with their garish Gaga-themed outfits and comic asides about the coalition government.
Pop culture references notwithstanding, this ‘Cinderella’ is a charming, traditional retelling by Pollard – boy meets girl, misplaces girl, rediscovers girl, marries girl – with a neat inclusion of Greenwich as the setting for Prince Charlemagne’s royal abode.
The cast is refreshingly celeb-free and Hannah Wilding’s Cinderella carries a pitch perfect voice and dazzling smile, while Adam Dougal’s Buttons is every bit the cheeky, audience-pleasing chappie. There are admirable performances all round, though the panto dames are the real stars here, providing innuendo after blush-inducing innuendo. The only real gimmick is in the flashing Cinderella headbands sported by children in the audience, though if I hear another rendition of Journey’s over-used ‘Don't Stop Believing’, it'll be too soon.
Last year’s Greenwich Theatre pantomime, ‘Mother Goose’ was a sell-out, and with the performance run of this year's panto already extended by ten days, this pacy and heart-warming version of ‘Cinderella’ should follow suit. My only regret is that there isn’t more opportunity to yell ‘It's behind you!’ – small criticism of an otherwise brilliant production.