After the success of last year’s inaugural online pantomime, Blue Peter legend, Peter Duncan and Panto Online are back with another on-demand offering. This year’s production is the classic Cinderella, which is once again shot on location in Duncan’s garden (among other places). Mummy and the munchkins snuggled up on the sofa this week to watch our second Cinderella of the season, which marks our final review of 2021. Oh yes it does.
In many ways this a very traditional Cinderella, with all the elements you would expect from a panto, including plenty of chances to shout at the screen as well as a singalong finale. Peter Duncan and Adam Price are the real stars of the show as the Ugly Stepsisters, Billie Eyelash and Ariana Shande, providing ample opportunities for booing the baddies. There’s lots of Laurel and Hardy inspired slapstick, including a scene involving wallpapering which had the munchkins shrieking with laughter (and felt especially appropriate given that Mrs Mummy was actually putting up wallpaper while we were watching!) It’s not jampacked with innuendo like some pantomines, but there is definitely humour in there for the adults, particularly towards the end when feisty heroine Cinders (Lucy-Jane Quinlan) makes her prenuptial demands of Prince Charming (Sam Ebenezer).
With the action moving around between different locations, it’s a bit more immersive and film-like than a recording of a staged panto, while still retaining a distinctly theatrical feel. And if you want the full audience experience, it’s also possible to view in cinemas. (Head here for more information: www.pantoonline.co.uk/incinemas).
For the first time, Mummy has handed over the keyboard to the munchkins to write their own mini reviews. Here’s what they had to say:
“its funny because Cinderella turns out to be a princess in the End and Buttons lives with Cinderella as part as the Royal Family.And my favourite part was the wall paper part.”
Quaver, age 8
“My favourite part in the show was when they were getting the wallpaper on for the prince to come around and when Buttons was putting the wallpaper on walls he put the wallpaper on Baron Hardup and got soap everywhere! And after that they were about to throw the buckets of foam at each other when instead they chose to throw the buckets of foam at the ugly sisters. I think that they deserved the buckets of foam thrown at them!!”
Crotchet, age 9
Whether Covid has cancelled your local panto or confined you to the house, or you just fancy watching something to get you in the Christmas spirit, Panto Online offers a great way of getting your panto fix from the comfort of your own home. We were pleased to see it back this year, long before Omicron was on the scene, and we hope that this special brand of festive fun will return for many more years to come.
Cinderella is available to stream until 16 January 2022. We received complimentary press access in return for a review.