On Tuesday 10th December we hosted the relaxed performance of our annual festive pantomime Cinderella. One of our customers Nathan Godfrey kindly reviewed the show. Read below to find out about his experience.
At 7pm on Tuesday, 10th December, I watched Cinderella at The Billingham Forum.
Alex, the front of house manager, was one of the first staff members that I saw, and he was very welcoming. Heather, a front-of-house staff member, did a brilliant job of asking people to queue for refreshments on the side of the staircase rather than blocking the staircase.
Shortly before the show started, there was a talk by Liam Mellor, who played Buttons. He said that in the show there will not be pyrotechnics, or lots of smoke, and the house lights will stay on, but be on at a reduced brightness level, and also the sounds will be reduced.
Not having pyrotechnics meant there were no sudden bright and loud surprises. Having reduced smoke meant visibility was not reduced. Having house lights remain on meant it was not dark, and it was also easy to find the exit if customers wanted a break from the show. The sound being reduced meant the volume was not very loud. Liam then introduced the 3 baddies. The 2 sisters and the mother. He said that even though they are the baddies they are just acting, and when not acting, they are lovely people. He said to boo them.
I really liked that he introduced the 3 baddies. During theatre performances, it can sometimes be hard to realise that people are only acting, especially when it is someone’s first time watching a show. It was really good that Liam pointed out that the 3 baddies are just acting and when they are not acting they are nice people. This helped the audience not be as scared of the baddies. Also, telling the audience to boo would have helped people be less scared of the baddies as they would be more focused on booing.
The show itself was brilliant. It was very funny, including lots of humour by Liam Mellor who played Buttons, as well as the wicked stepsisters who were played by Luke and Elliot. The wicked stepmother (Lucy Carne) was excellent at gaining audience participation. The fairy godmother (Robert Squire) and Dandini (Matt Milburn) had excellent facial expressions. Prince Charming (Ben-Ryan Davies) and Cinderella (Katy Allen) were both very energetic and had big, happy smiles. The ensemble was great, including brilliant singing and dancing. The ensemble consisted of Luke Fairless, Douglas Filipe Silveira, Eilidh Francis, Neve McGuinness-Dyce, Olivia Neville and Georgina Purdy. Olivia Neville, in particular, was a fantastic performer in the ensemble. Furthermore, the special effects were brilliant, and the music was great! I am looking forward to The Further Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan!