One of the biggest pantomimes in the region has opened at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham – oh yes it has! Cinderella is regarded as one of the most spectacular pantos with a romantic heart and a story where good always prevails against evil.
The Nottingham panto is produced by Crossroads Pantomimes – the biggest panto production company in the world – who have some of the best writers, special effects and stars in the industry to call upon. Written by Harry Michaels and Alan McHugh, the panto stays close to the original story of Cinderella, considered to be the fairy godmother of all pantos!
Additional material has been written by Matt Slack who has been a favourite with Birmingham audiences for many years as one of the main leads in the Hippodrome panto.
A strong cast
Leading the cast is Craig Revel Horwood, the Strictly Come Dancing judge who indeed revels in his role as Baroness Dominica Hardup, Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother, who seems intent on causing upset and distress. Naturally there were many references to Strictly including a variety of Latin American dances – with plenty of hip rotation! As you might expect his famous catchphrases such as “A-maz-ing” and “Fab-u-Lous” were evident in abundance.
Making his first appearance in a Theatre Royal panto, Neil Hurst seemed destined to become a Nottingham favourite. His rapport with the audience was instant. Whilst some of his jokes might have been appreciated more by older members of the audience, he had a strong connection with the youngsters via his daft but loveable character, Buttons.
Actress, singer and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco sparkled as the Fairy Godmother. The opportunity to perform some of the ‘diva’ impressions that brought her YouTube fame was cleverly written into the show. Her vocals mimicked Shirley Bassey, Celine Dion and others with ease, though the inclusion of more contemporary artists such as Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter would have been welcomed and might have resonated more with the youngsters.
Stephenson Ardern-Sodje and Daniel Norford as Prince Charming and Dandini respectively were graceful and elegant whilst Elly Jay as Cinderella brought a youthful innocence to the role.
With a nod to Strictly, the Wicked Sisters were named Claudia and Tess and played by Britt Lenting and May Tether. Wilst their costumes were probably not as outrageous as they could have been, they made up for the omission by bringing the vain, selfish and cruel characteristics associated with the two ugly sisters to the fore convincingly.
Never losing the plot
Thankfully the storyline was kept intact and with no one single character dominating any one particular scene. The lighting, designed by Alex Marshall, was sympathetically employed throughout, whilst the eight dancers under the choreography of Alan Burkitt were sharp, precise and energetic. Without spoiling any surprises the special effects are nothing but a-maz-ing.
The musical score by Rick Coates includes a smattering of Queen songs, an opportunity for Craig to perform a stunning version of ‘My Way’ and a nod to Nottingham’s association with Robin Hood via the track (Everything I Do) I Do It For You from the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. The Rosé and Bruno Mars track ‘APT’ kept the music more up-to-date and was accompanied by a brilliant dance routine.
Everything considered the Theatre Royal have a panto that is strictly not to be missed and yes it really is Fab-u-lous!
Cinderella runs until Sunday 4th January 2026. Book your tickets here.
All images by Theatre Royal Nottingham, used with permission.
