Cinderella The Panto!

About the Play

Cinderella debuted as a pantomime on stage at the Drury Lame Theatre, London in 1904 and at the Adelphi Theatre in London in 1905.

In the traditional pantomime version of Cinderella, Buttons, who is Baron Hardup’s servant and best friend of Cinderella, starts the show and first introduces Cinderella to the audience.  We then meet the ne’re do wells, Cinderella’s Step-Sisters and the Evil Baroness who have it in for Cinderella and try to make her life as miserable as possible. Throughout the pantomime, the Baron is under constant pressure by the overspending of his wife, the Baroness, who dotes on her daughters exclusively, while leaving nothing for Cinderella.

While out picking flowers in the forest one day, Cinderella first meets Prince Charming and his “right-hand man” Dandini, whose name and character come from the Gioachino Rossini Opera (La Cenerentola). Cinderella mistakes Dandini for the Prince and the Prince for Dandini.  The Prince then decides to throw a ball in an attempt to find the girl he met in the forest, but he is thwarted by the Step Sisters who tear up Cinderella’s invitation.  In the nick of time, the Fairy Godmother arrives and transforms Cinderella’s rags into  a beautiful ball gown, changes a pumpkin into a coach, mice into footmen, and Buttons into the coach driver, so that Cinderella can to go to the ball happening at the Palace. However, she must return by midnight, as it is then that the spell ceases…

Expect the unexpected in this uproariously funny take on the classic tale!