Inside: Review of the Harlow Playhouse Cinderella Pantomime 2022. Press tickets.
I’ve always thought that pantos are all much of a muchness. You have the hero, the sidekick, the dame and of course the baddie. But it turns out that they aren’t all cut from the same cloth – as the Harlow Playhouse cast showed me this year.
Harlow Playhouse are putting on a Cinderella pantomime for Christmas 2022 and you won’t have seen a panto like it before. Running until 8th January 2023, grab your tickets now!
Read on to hear more…
The venue
I’ve never been to the Playhouse before but I will definitely be going again. It is an intimate theatre, with all seats having an excellent view of the stage. We were sat a few rows down from the back and could see and hear everything really well.
The staff were all really friendly and as it isn’t an enormous theatre, you don’t get massive queues for drinks or snacks etc… which is great.
It is easy to find and has a multi-storey car park (that is very reasonably priced) next door so parking isn’t an issue. All in all, a great venue!
Cinderella Panto 2022
I had no idea what to expect but my word I was blown away. Obviously I don’t want to spoil the surprise but I will mention a few points to give you a feel for the show and get you excited to watch it.
The cast isn’t a big one, with the main characters being Cinderella, Buttons, The Ugly Step-Sisters (Coco & Chanel), Prince Charming, Dandini (the Prince’s aid), and the fairy Godmother ‘Fairy G’.
There are also 6 dancers who add to the musical numbers and act as extra bodies on the stage when needed.
The vibe from the entire cast was one of togetherness and fun, with genuine laughter and enjoyment being clear for everyone to see. I especially liked it when someone accidentally fluffed their lines (not that it happened more than once or twice) as they would ad-lib and make it part of the routine. It is what makes theatre more enjoyable than film or tv in my opinion – every performance is unique.
Stand out performances for me came from Coco & Chanel as the ugly step-sisters. Despite being baddies, they were fun to watch and totally hilarious in all that they did. Buttons was also brilliant and had us all in stitches.
One of our favourite parts of the show was when Buttons, Dandini, Coco, & Chanel sang a repeating song. I honestly don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in ages. And the fact that they were all laughing while they sang made it all the better.
Something that really made this a stand-out production for me, and something that Harlow Playhouse should be really proud of, is the fact that they included local students from Hip Hop Pop, a street dance company for all ages, into the show. Giving that opportunity to perform in such a way is a brilliant way to give back to the community.
With laughter, singing, dancing, and fun you can’t wish for more from a Christmas pantomime!
Book your tickets
I’ve honestly never seen such a brilliant production and have been telling all of my friends to go book too.
To find out prices and availability, visit harlowplayhouse.co.uk
Let me know if you manage to get tickets and what you think of it! Have fun!