It’s hard to believe that two years have passed since audiences cheered and booed along to Penarth Operatic & Dramatic Society’s last pantomime – Aladdin. And we at Penarth View having been following their journey from concept to opening night with our range of interviews and features, available here and here. And as pantomime is such a live experience, so it is a pleasure to make the trip to the Paget Rooms to see such a brilliant family pantomime.

Written by well-known Penarthian Andy Bradshaw, and co-directed by Andy and Debbie Apolonnio, this re-told story is full of the classic tropes, gags and characters, but is mixed in with high-value pop and musical theatre tunes, as well as a very good dash of humour and double entendres, which had the audience in stitches. And clearly, it is not too soon for Covid jokes to be included too, instantly making the performance a relatable reprieve from the pandemic.

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Ruby Atlanta Boland gave a great performance as Ella, as did Paul Mellin as Buttons, and Matthew Lee as Prince Charming. The three of them each have a fantastic singing voice, which made their delivery of ‘Love Is An Open Door’ – yes, from Frozen – and ‘Somebody To Love’ – yes, the Queen classic – an absolute dream to listen to. We also have Lauren Farnham as the Fairy Godmother, who captivated everyone in the audience with her stunning dress.

Fantastic performances – and laugh-out-loud hilarity – came from Emma Dennett as the Countess Von Strudel, the wicked step-mother, and Sally Mathias as Willemeaner and Phil Loveless as Willemoaner – the two step-sisters. For me personally, and I would say for the audience too, scene eight of act one is a particular highlight, where both sisters embark on their pre-ball beauty regime in their boudoir. Now, we all knew there couldn’t possibly be enough make-up to cover Loveless’ five o’clock stubble, but I don’t think anyone was expecting that result from the hair-removal cream! It was also in this scene that I purposefully memorised the jokes, just so I could re-tell them to friends at a later point. Absolutely hilarious stuff.

Excellent performances were had too from Doireann Gilmore as Dandini, Bob Tucker as Baron Hardup, Sally Bevan as Mayor of Morovia, Robert Jenkins as King Steffan, Jim Lediard as Monty, Helen Taylor as Mrs Forsyth, Lauren Jenkins as Belle, and Adrienne Davey as the Queen. Their characters may be smaller, but all actors made the most of their time on stage, and their presence absolutely completed the show.

A mention must also go to Effie Cancelliere, Katy Edwards, Martha Ely and Noemi Paci, as the four adorable mice, and Ella’s main supporters.

As you would expect from a classic pantomime, there is a happy ending for all the goodies, including Buttons, and the baddies are sent packing, with their tail between their legs.

Cinderella is a very enjoyable performance, especially with the added comic business and the plethora of one-liners. Yes, there is the pumpkin, the ball, and the classic love story between Ella and Prince Charming, but there is also live music, sumptuous costumes and so much more, which makes this a great watch for the whole family.

Cinderella by Penarth Operatic & Dramatic Society is at Penarth’s Paget Rooms until Sunday, 5 December. Tickets available online here.