Little Wolf knows about pantos. Success in nine categories in the Great British Pantomime Awards over the past six years speaks for itself. So any new production by the company has to be taken seriously, if you know what I mean.
Cinderella is a typical Little Wolf staging: a visually glittering spectacular with astounding special effects presented by an enthusiastic cast who enjoy their time in the spotlight.
As usual, the show is written and designed by Little Wolf’s Morgan Brind and is built around him. His reputation is legendary: he won best dame at the UK Pantomime Awards in 2021 as Nurse Nancy Nightley in Sleeping Beauty.
He doesn’t quite reach those heights as one of the Ugly—sorry, Pretty—Sisters. He and Little Wolf regular Roddy Peters are suitably nasty and selfish in their dealings with stepsister Ella (Cinderella), but their material doesn’t raise as many laughs as you might expect.
In fact, the funniest moments come from Brind’s ad libs. As in previous years, he proves he is impressive at finding humour in unexpected circumstances.
Unlike Mother Goose in 2023 and Aladdin in 2022, there’s no major slapstick scene in Cinderella to raise a guffaw. Despite that, the quality of the production shines brightly.
Mina Anwar is the most well-known name in the cast and adds sparkle as the Fairy Godmother. The classically trained mezzo-soprano is given the opportunity to showcase the full range of her talents and shows what an accomplished singer she is. She also makes light work of mastering the difficult Derby accent.
Two other cast members have previously appeared on the Derby Arena stage; the chemistry between them is evident. Nicola Martinus-Smith, who appeared in both Mother Goose and Aladdin, is dazzling as Dandini. Kristian Cunningham, who is appearing in his seventh Little Wolf panto, proves he becomes more accomplished each year. His effervescent portrayal of Buttons definitely presses all the right buttons with the audience.
Lucy Munden in the title role is endearing, presenting the downtrodden young woman as someone prepared to get on with her life rather than wallowing in self-pity. She also has a delightful voice, which is used to great effect.
Charles Ruhrmund makes the most of what has always been a subordinate role, his Prince Charming living up to his name without being a bore.
Panto calls for audiences to suspend their disbelief. It’s never more appropriate when considering that recent musical theatre graduate Marisa Harris could be the mother of the Ugly Sisters. But Harris as Helen Bacquagain is impressively evil without terrifying the audience, as she wants only the best for her children.
Mark Chatterton, who directed Mother Goose and Aladdin, is again at the helm for Cinderella and ensures everything fits together neatly, especially a magical coach which takes Ella to the ball at the end of act one.
On press night, there were occasional problems with unbalanced sound levels in the vast Derby Arena.
Overall, though, expect at least one nomination for Cinderella in the next UK Pantomime Awards, although it probably won’t be for its comedy.
Reviewer: Steve Orme