I’m fast reaching the conclusion that the Exeter panto is the one to beat.
The dream team of the zany Le Navet Bete and director Martin Berry have penned a belter of a Cinderella, keeping it local, Gen Z and topical.
Back as the baddie is the superb Jodie Micciche as Countess Wear, cold of heart, dressed to chill and weaving an icy spell upon the Kingdom of Exeter until she becomes Queen Mother-to-be.
Unless her ghastly, rubber-faced, potty-humoured, back cheese-eating daughters Ugly Sisters Bonjela and Sue de Crème (Nick Bunt and Al Dunn, who double up as Buttons and Poppers) marry the sheep-loving (I hate to think how that plays out in the adult-only performances…), shy Roger the Prince Farming (Aaron Dart: 2:22 A Ghost Story, The Gruffalo, Wuthering Heights), the citizens will face an endless deep freeze.
Feisty, guitar-wielding Cinders (one-to-watch mortgage broker, recently turned actor Nicci Ashford) swaps her Crocs for sparkly Doc Martens and her rags for punky finery (but keeps the orange tights) gatecrashing the ball to see her fave Saylor Twift thanks to unicycling Fairy Godmother (Matt Freeman), sick magic and a swan-drawn barge.
Freeman is, of course, a show-stealer with a three-foot-high pink wig, ridiculous antics—skis, water pistols, snowballs, manic knitting etc—and outrageous fourth wall breaking, flirting with the audience.
Musical director Bryony Maguire (Wind In The Willows, Jerusalem) is Dandini, six children swap around as Cinderella’s friend Quackers while Tamsin Lynes and Mo Crook are the versatile ensemble and understudies.
It may only have 10 in the cast and may not be a big budget extravaganza, but Katie Haywood’s costumes are fab and Glitter Pantomime’s set is simple and very, very sparkly. It really has everything needed for a perfect panto: much silliness, slapstick and storyline.
The songs are well-edited and well-known (such as “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Eye of The Tiger”) while malfunctioning sauna; over-bronzing cubicle; exploding snowman; Cilla Phane’s “Does The Shoe Fit”; sheep-drawn sled; mystic Sage of Haldon Forest; slo-mo Gladiators and so very much more add up to one cold, hard fact: it’s a great fun night (or afternoon) out.
Reviewer: Karen Bussell