If you want a full works panto that will have you laughing, clapping and shouting then Cinderella at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre is a must see.
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre pull out all the stops when it comes to putting on an amazing panto performance and I was thrilled to be invited to their Gala Night with my 9 year old son.
The panto follows the classic children’s fairytale story of Cinderalla with believable characters to fall in love with and to boo at, musical performances and a lot of belly laughs. I’m not sure when I have laughed so much last and I loved that the audience were laughing together from the youngest kids to teens and the grown ups. For me, that’s just how a panto should be. Of course there are the jokes especially for the Mums & Dads, with double entrendres to make you blush but not so much that the kids are wondering what’s going on or asking you to explain.
The show opened with the absolute legend, La Voix as the Fairy Godmother. Bringing all her glamour and humour, she is so obviously adored by the audience. With 18 years of panto experience and a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, La Voix has been dazzling audience with her big vocals and charisma everywhere from her smash hit international tour to a cameo role in Ab Fab The Movie. I was lucky to meet her a few weeks before rehearsals and she’s wonderfully down to earth off stage with a natural witty charm. La Voix rocked the role of Fairy Godmother bringing her magic, sparkle and belting tunes.
Best known for presenting Sam & Mark’s Big Friday Wind Up on CBBC, Mark Rhodes takes on the role as Dandini. Always similing, Mark brings energy and great comic timing alongside the lovable and slightly goofy Prince Charming played by Regan Burke. The pair work really well together weaving the panto magic.
BBC Three Counties breakfast show presenter Andy Collins is no stranger to the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre stage. A local ‘lad’ he’s the one that seems to gel the whole cast together. Andy has a unique ability to really connect with the audience and even had us laughing with technical hitches whilst trying to shoot a toilet roll from a leaf blower! How Andy can get up for a 6am breakfast show the next day and still bring so much energy to his performance I can’t quite image, although he did tell me he has a sofa bed in his dressing room for quick cat naps.
All good pantomimes need a villain and and this year you get not one but two with the ugly sisters played by Chris Nelson and Kristopher Milnes. With brilliant comic timing and wonderfully garish costumes, these two had us booing and shouting and my son had a horse voice the next day.
Chris Nelson is also the director of the pantomime and must be beaming with how well it’s going. I would love to know what his son thinks when he has his first panto experience and sees daddy all dressed up as Gemma Hard-Up
Gemma Naylor is best known for being one fifth of the music act Go!Go!Go! from Nick Jr and had us all enchanted from the start. Unfortunately halfway through the first act she had to make a quick exit and under study Shannon Rothwell stepped in to her sparkly shoes.
It must have been incredibly daunting for her especially with the audience packed with Press to review the show. Shannon was a star and her performance was faultless. You could tell how close the whole cast were with their support and she entranced us all with her singing and beaming smile and a gasp as she arrived at the ball in her pumpkin carriage pulled by real miniature white ponies.
Let’s not forget the rest of the cast too because it’s how they all connect together and the one stage humour that makes this performance so special. Nick Harris as Baron Hard-Up plays a great Cinderella’s dad and the villagers add their flair with dance routines and comedy moments too.
One of the reasons I clapped so much was the music. They picked such a great set of tunes to get your toes tapping. Songs from the 80s right through to the latest hits and a brilliant live band give the pantomime that extra elevation. The costumes are fantastic too and I love how many changes La Voix had, always with her trademark glamour. I need some lessons on how to walk to in towering stilletoes! In keeping with this 5 star production, the stage set works perfectly too with extra touches from a moving waterwheel to LOTS of glitter.
I loved the whole show but one very unique Aylesbury panto traditional highlight was the 12 Days of Christmas. You could feel the excitment as the audience realised that it was going ahead this year. They have a comedy version of this song each year and suddenly out come the water pistols from both on stage and in the audience. There were teeny water pistols all the way up to super soakers. Hilarious audience participation like I haven’t seen anywhere else before.
This is no off the peg panto that you could see in any location but uniquely Aylesbury. A big wow production that connects with the audience and leaves you with tingling palms from clapping so much and a big smile on your face.
Cinderella is running right through to 2nd Jan but seats are booking out quickly so if you’re looking for a performance that the whole family will enjoy, this is the one to go to.
