I was meant to have reviewed Cinderella, Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest lockdown written musical, back in July. But a Covid outbreak among the cast meant that a period of the show was cancelled and thus here we are several months later and finally, I can take my seat at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. In the meantime, the show has been honed and polished ready not only for West End audiences but with an eye on a Broadway transfer.
This completely new take on the story with book by Emerald Fennell and lyrics by David Zippel has been written seemingly with a younger audience in mind than peopled the matinee I attended. But no matter. The plays the thing as Mr. Shakespeare wrote.
Belleville (France) has been awarded "Most Attractive Town" for the past 49 years. Surely this year will be no different? Well think again. Someone has defaced the memorial statue of Prince Charming (missing in action) and the town loses out. Who can it be? Well, Bad Cinderella as it turns out. A Goth vision of rebellion, so now the whole town is against her. But none more so than her Stepmother and sisters Marie and Adele. And so the familiar story begins with a new twist, whereupon Prince Charming's younger brother Sebastian must choose a bride. But he is in love with Cinderella, and vice versa. Cinders is holding out because she is not so much bad, as just a bit petulant.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's melodies are as ever at the heart of the production, and like him or loathe him he has an annoying habit of delivering earworms that stay with you long after you leave the theatre. His speciality is composing six or seven musical motifs and having them all return throughout the evening patched up with varying arrangements. Cinderella is no different. Andy has worked with some of the best lyrists in the world, sadly David Zippel isn't amongst them. His lyrics are serviceable but lack the wit and depth of his predecessors. One can only imagine the fun to be had with Tim Rice at the helm. The sets and costumes by Gabriela Tylesova seem rather low key for the West End, almost as if the Broadway transfer was expected to be The Broadway in Barking, not New York. Director Laurence Connor has matched this with some plodding direction, it's not bad Cinderella just average Cinderella.
With much publicity around the haphazzard appearance of certain cast members, it came as a surprise to find the matinee contained the entire advertised A-Team in their roles. Chief among these is Carrie Hope-Fletcher, social media expert and fan girl heroine, who takes up the titular role. Her crystal clear voice is note perfect, (the Phil Spector-esque 'I Know I Have A Heart' is among the best songs of the evening) but she fails to find any fire in the character. Each scene is played pretty much like the last. Her counterpart Ivano Turco as Sebastian, in his West End debut, finds a little more intensity and, in what is the most high profile audtion for Thriller Live, suddenly turns into a body popping, crotch grabbing Michael Jackson in the final scene. He does though handle his big solo 'Only You, Lonely You' with aplomb. The real star of the evening though is Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as The Stepmother. She out Cruella's de Ville as she ramps up the Disney villain stakes, and the show is better for it. Every gesture, every syllable is played to the hilt. Her scene with The Queen (Rebecca Trehearn) as they spit out the confession that they know of each others less-than-artistocratic showgirl past is a highlight. Pity though the marvellous Gloria Onitiri as The Godmother, a back street plastic surgeon who will make Cinderella beautiful. The price is her dead mother's necklace, Cinderella's most precious possession. Onitiri is wonderfully sinister as The Godmother, and delivers 'Beauty Has A Price' as the thrilling climax it should be, but the character is given no background and disappears just as quickly as she came, save for one small moment in Act Two which feels like an after thought. Onitiri deserves better. And so does the show. Similarly the two sisters, Adele and Marie, are given just lip service which must be frustrating for Laura Baldwin and Georgina Castle who need better material to be able to maul their half sister.
The ensemble pieces are for the most part enjoyable, and then there is the trick of the audience on the revolve which gives the first few rows a unique view of the Ball. it makes absolutely no difference to the show but is at least an attempt to liven up a scene which should be a showstopper but isn't.
This Cinderella is stuck between two poles. It is neither the fairytale setting of versions of old but is neither the edgy, modern take that the publicity would have us believe. The odd swear word thrown in won't make Cinderella a modern woman capable of forging her own path. In fact she is rather passive in the events.
It is frustrating for we audience because it is obvious there is a good show in there somewhere, but it is trapped in this hybrid production that clearly should have had a lot more work before being plonked on a West End stage. Having paid over £100 for my ticket, I feel I have the right to demand a more cohesive product. The last half hour particularly needs re-working. The appearance of the awol Prince Charming should be a denounement of sorts, but instead the show just plods on and on. Lloyd Webber has a habit of tinkering with his shows, and he'll need to with this one. Ironic that one of the songs is called 'Ego Has A Price'. Still at least Barking can look forward to a first night with confidence.
Rob Cope for Doctor Theatre
Further information can be found via the OFFICIAL CINDERELLA WEBSITE
Great review of Cinderella. I think I'll stick with the album for a while.
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