“SHE’S in the cellar!”
“She’s with a fella?”
“No - she’s in the cellar!”
“She’s done a smeller?”
“NO! She’s in the cellar!”
The little girl on the row in front of me was off her seat and yelling as loud as she could, desperate for Buttons to rescue Cinders. There it was - the pure joy of pantomime. And no panto does it quite like the Alhambra panto.
Cinderella is off to a flying start at the Bradford theatre - quite literally - packed with laughs, magic and the blend of high-tech wizardry and slapstick fun that we have come to expect from Yorkshire’s biggest pantomime.
Fairy tales evolve for the times we’re in, and this is a refreshingly modern take on Cinderella. Instead of sitting around in the scullery waiting for Prince Charming to show up, this Cinders has big dreams and is busy with her studies. And she might not settle for the conventional Happy Ever After...
Director Ed Curtis has done a splendid job in mixing it all up; making panto relevant for today’s audiences, while retaining the traditional elements that have entertained generations of theatre-goers.
The Alhambra panto is also renowned for its special effects and, once again created by The Twins FX, this show features some spectacular showstoppers - including a truly breathtaking pumpkin carriage transformation.
As Cinders and her dad, Baron Hardup, fall into the clutches of the Wicked Stepmother and her spiteful daughters, it’s left to faithful odd-job man Buttons to save the day - helped by a cheeky Fairy Godfather.
“Hiya kids, I’m Buttons - this year,” grinned Billy Pearce, bursting onto the stage to huge cheers.
You can feel the love for Billy in the Alhambra auditorium. It wouldn’t be Christmas without him! His energy is off-the-scale; watching him in action is a masterclass in physical comedy. He’s a vaudeville clown for a 21st century audience.
Billy had us in stitches throughout, not least with his hilarious lip-sync routine. He even does some magic tricks, in a lovely comic scene with the talented young dance ensemble and the delightful Sunbeams - back this year for the first time since the pandemic.
This panto is in safe hands with Billy at the helm, and his co-stars are excellent too. There is great chemistry between Billy and John Whaite, they make a cracking double act. Their hilarious dance-off is a highlight of the show.
John lights up the stage in the dual roles of Faerie Godfather and Dandini. He delivers a fabulous, endearing performance, with great comic timing. And what a treat to see some slick dance moves from the former Strictly Come Dancing finalist!
Samantha Giles was a terrific villain; rocking an evil steampunk vibe as Baroness Voluptua Fortuna. A class act.
Prince Charming can be a bit of a wet principal part, but RSC actor Dale Mathurin brought great warmth to the royal role, and his powerful singing voice filled the stage.
An impressive performance too from Sarah Pearson as a very contemporary Cinderella. You just know this no-nonsense Yorkshire lass is going all the way to the Royal Ball - and beyond. Go Cinders!
Phil Hitchcock as Magician Bardon Hardup dazzled us with spectacular fire illusions - and a brilliant “It’s behind you!” moment - and talented duo Wendy Somerville and Larissa Alexandrovnia delivered lots of laughs as the Wicked Stepsisters, Manipulata and Vindicta Fortuna.
“What, no dames?” I thought at first, but this turned out to be an effective twist on the panto tradition, and Wendy and Larissa were great comic turns.
This year’s production sees the return of the Sunbeams to the Alhambra stage, for the first time in four years.
Pantomime is woven into the heritage of the Alhambra. Francis Laidler, the ‘Panto King’ who founded the theatre, first introduced his Sunbeams during the First World War, and he brought them to the Alhambra in 1930.
The junior dance troupe has delighted Alhambra audiences ever since, for more than a century, and today’s Sunbeams are from the Sara Packham Theatre School in Keighley.
The Yellow Team, who were performing when I saw the panto this week, were a delight. As well as being a cute addition to the big dance numbers, the youngsters joined in with Billy’s high jinks in some lovely comic scenes.
With Stillie Dee’s vibrant choreography, Ian Westbrook’s dazzling set and Mike Coltman’s lavish costumes - shimmering beautifully in the finale - this is a hugely entertaining family show, with a modern vibe, blending traditional panto fun with impressive special effects.
The ‘Bradford’ spin on Petula Clark hit Downtown was a nice touch - just about every place in the district gets a namecheck - Billy, John and Samantha pulled off a terrific old-school tongue twister, and a scathing Partygate gag got one of the biggest cheers of the night.
This is a fresh take on a panto classic. It’s camp, it’s bawdy and it’s great fun. And, after the scaled-back post-Covid productions of the past couple of years, it feels like panto has come home.
* Cinderella runs at the Alhambra until January 21. There is a Relaxed Performance on Tuesday, January 9 at 6pm.
Call (01274) 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
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