And for most of the otherwise predictable first act, everything sticks fairly closely to the standard one-girl-against-the-world plot, peppered by Fennell with faintly dated nods to what used to be called “girl power.” The difference is that Cinderella realizes that she’s is in love with Sebastian.
Unhappy about this, Sebastian confides in his best friend - who is, natch, Cinderella. To fill the coffers, she whips up a royal wedding complete with a ball, at which a wife will be chosen for her hapless and, in her eyes, hopeless second son, Prince Sebastian (young Ivano Turco in his West End debut.) In part, that’s because the statue is of her dead son Prince Charming. Not for nothing is the arch, opening scene-setter entitled “Buns’n’Roses.”īut things swiftly go awry when it’s revealed that Cinderella has defaced the new statue, which causes Belleville to lose its crown as “Most Attractive Town.” The waspish Queen – played by Rebecca Trehearn, whose deliciously withering grandeur would give Marie Antoinette pause - is not, to put it mildly, pleased. Our heroine, the black-lipsticked and goth-laced “Bad Cinderella” (as she’s called in the punchy, calling-card number that leads the overture and is reprised on umpteen occasions) lives in Belleville, which, according to lyricist David Zippel, is “a town so picturesque/ every other seems grotesque.” The rest of the population consists of under-dressed men who are buff and manly, and over-dressed women who are blonde and perfect. But the ride he’s written for her with Oscar-winning screenwriter Emerald Fennell (“Promising Young Woman”) is seriously bumpy. With actor/singer and internet sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher wholly energizing the new-wine-in-old-bottles story of a self-assured heroine defiantly refusing to fit in with the fairytale world that despises her, he’s halfway there. It’s as if composer, lyricist, writer and director each tried to create their own show independently, and ended up making this Cinderella more of a poisoned apple than a glass slipper.Where do you go after you’ve seen “Wicked”? That worldwide smash has built a vast young audience hungry for stories propelled by power ballads of female empowerment, and it’s clearly that crowd that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s much-delayed new musical version of “ Cinderella” is eager to please. Whilst there will be much deserved admiration for getting the production mounted in the most difficult of times, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella replaces magic, miracles and enchantment with misogyny, machismo and eroticism, and overall, it feels uncomfortable to watch. It’s hard to believe this is a West End debut, Turco carries the role so confidently, and his solo number, ‘Only You, Lonely You’ is nothing short of captivating. Ivano Turco as Prince Sebastian wows the audience with a gentle and nuanced performance. Rebecca Trehearn and Victoria Hamilton Barritt both relish their villainous roles as The Queen and The Stepmother respectively, while Laura Baldwin shines as stepsister Adele. Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers a powerful performance as the titular character, filled with angst and a touch of vulnerability, and her solo numbers are spectacular. Thankfully, Bruno Poet’s lighting design picks up a great deal of the slack giving The Gillian Lynne Theatre the fairytale feel that is desperately lacking elsewhere.Ĭinderella does have a strong cast. Gabriella Tylesova’s costumes, particularly for the female leads, are extravagant and dazzling, and stand out even more so against a dull and uninspiring set.
But, too soon, the clock strikes midnight, the enchantment is over, and the production turns back in to a pumpkin. It’s also here that we get another of the standout musical numbers, as Carrie Hope Fletcher delivers the stunning ‘I Know I Have a Heart’. Laurence Connor’s direction and the stage’s revolve both play a part in making these scenes the best of the night. It’s not just Cinderella who is transformed, as the stage takes on a whole new look thanks to some rather impressive stage wizardry. The Ball comes at the top of the second act, and it looks like things might start to get interesting. Too often the lyrics don’t reflect the plot, which is already at odds with the music and the staging one of those often reprised, albeit enjoyable, numbers is ‘Bad Cinderella’ which gives us the line “I’ve a style all my own, and I will not change it for you”, which makes us wonder why Cinderella then goes ahead to do just that.Įnter the Godmother (Gloria Onitiri), turning up briefly to suggest Cinderella should undergo surgery to be more beautiful there’s a song about it before they decide there’s not enough time, so stick her in a pretty dress instead.
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