Poor Cinderella lives in the kitchen, slaving for her two beastly step-sisters.  Her only friend is the lovelorn Buttons, until one day the Prince announces a speical ball at which he will choose a bride.  But will Cinders get to go to the Castle and  win her prince, or will her mean old sisters prevent it?

Packed with songs, dances and spectacle, not to mention some appalling jokes, Kidz panto is a magical, fun-filled evening to add a shimmer of fairydust to your Christmas celebrations.

Review

From opening to finale, this show has cracking pace and verve making each act fly by in a glittering blur of muse, music and mirth.  Written by St Ives playwright Mike Ezra and filled with local touches, Cinderella hits all the best pantomime buttons.  We are moved by the injustice of Cinderella's life and lifted by her spirit: we take Buttons to our hearts from the moment he walks on stage and the pathos of unrequited love plus humour that accompany him are so traditional that the audience automatically know their responses.

Because there are nearly two casts in this production, I cannot single out individuals for praise as, with Kidz R Us, both casts will  be rehearsed to the very highest standards. I can though say what a fizzing, high quality performance we enjoyed the night I was there.  As always, the music and singing is first class, blending a welcome mixture of tradition with more contemporary sounds and much more.  The Ugly Sisters' rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is alone almost worth the ticket price.  Also, choreography, putting thirty or more youngsters on stage in great routines, is something to be admired and more importantly, enjoyed.

It can sometimes seem easy to make people laugh; easy that is, until you try.  I'll not give away the comedic moves that tickle the fancy of the audience in Cinderella, but they are, in the the great Panto tradition, topical, local and sterotypical; slapstick, cruel pathos and OTT evil; in other words, they're well written, delivered with great timing and panache, and they work.

It really would be hard to overstate what a great pantomime this is.  It is very much a production for current times and I know that you'll love it when you go.

John Hancock, St Ives Times and Echo