Cinderella at The Regent

It’s Panto time again! Oh yes it is!

Brace yourself for slapstick fun, mischief and tomfoolery with Cinderella, produced by Crossroads entertainment with Jonathan Wilkes and Kai Owen – Review by Mel Osborne

Pantomimes are a seasonal tradition and a lot has changed over the years.

Today we know them to be a fun filled family feast of entertainment, jam packed and something for everyone.

Panto is also often a young persons first experience of the theatre, with a relaxed atmosphere and opportunities to boo, hiss and shout “Its behind you.”

Cinderella is the timeless rags to riches story of the neglected sister whose life is transformed by a Prince and a very helpful Fairy Godmother and is perfect for Christmas with magic, romance and drama.

This year Jonathan Wilkes plays the hapless Buttons whilst Kai Owen is Dandini – who has been firmly adopted by Stoke as he enters his tenth year on stage at the Regent.

Kai is an accomplished actor with many theatre and tv credits but most notably he always brings warmth, kindness and comedy to the stage.

(All images Clara Lou Photography)

Pantomime is never meant to be Shakespeare. It is raucous and loud with cringeworthy jokes. It’s about community and a shared sense of inner knowledge about the area/people around them which is why Wilkes portrays what Stoke-on-Trent means in a genuine fashion.

The energy in the auditorium is electric and not just because of the performers on stage but due to everyone in the audience.

Each year the Regent pulls out all the stops to make it better than the year before.

This year is no different. There are some show stopping surprises on stage, cleverly curated stunts and of course a chaotic toilet roll farce.

Image Clara Lou Photography

Rhianne Drummond as the Fairy Godmother and Kirsty Ingham as Cinderella gave sparkling performances, as did Les Miserables star Ben Oatly as the Prince.

The production uses quality musical theatre stars who have the stamina to deliver high energy entertainment night after night through the Christmas period.

The music in the show is modern with hits you will recognise and sing along with such as Dancing through Life and Gimme Gimme and audience interaction is aplenty.