A KISS FOR CINDERELLA

The Space

★★★

“a beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season”

We all know the story of Cinderella. Everyone roots for her reunion with the prince – and her glass slipper. JM Barrie’s lesser-known play, A Kiss For Cinderella, tells the story of a kind hearted but delusional cleaning lady in WW1 London who believes that she is the real-life Cinderella, destined to marry The Prince of Wales. This new production, adapted and directed by Bethany Sharp, has many good ideas and a wonderful cast. At this point, the show is short of a slipper and could benefit from further exploration to give it that fairy tale flare.

The play is funny, with credit to Barrie’s writing and Sinthu Bhairavi’s delightful performance as Cinderella. Bhairavi’s portrayal is intelligent, playful and endearing. She captures Cinderella’s naivety and insanity without turning her into a caricature, allowing the audience to see why the policeman (Matthew Lyon) is falling in love with her. The policeman meets Cinderella at the home of Mr. Bodie, Cinderella’s employer, who is beautifully played by Simon Balcon. The policeman becomes suspicious of Cinderella’s interest in the German language and follows her home, where he discovers she’s hiding two European refugee children. They too are caught up in Cinderella’s fantasy that she will be invited to meet the prince.

The story, which is more than a century old, explores themes which remain relevant today: War, immigration, poverty and how we cope with harsh realities. Unfortunately, Sharp’s adaptation of this political dramedy, with Steven Shawcroft as assistant director, is missing the creative risk and tenacity to dig into it. The costumes (Stephanie Schreiter) in the dream scene are clever and imaginative, aiding the audience in understanding that this is Cinderella’s hallucination. However, a lack of attention to detail at times undermine her thoughtful designs. There’s no need for an actor’s trousers to be falling down only because he wasn’t given a belt. The same issue presents itself with sound design. There is some use of sound to give context or ease transitions, but most scenes (such as the ballroom scene) feel too quiet, causing the actors to work extra hard to keep the energy from dropping. Tiaras off to them, they actually do a valiant job!

Sharp shows a clear understanding of directing a show in the round. The blocking is dynamic, and the actors have excellent awareness of the audience. However, the once off dramatic opening of the double doors, only to reveal the theatre’s terrace, feels excessive and out of sorts with the otherwise sensible use of the space. At this point Cinderella is passed out “in the snow”, centre stage. By revealing the outside world to the audience when we are meant to believe that Cinderella is near death in the freezing cold, the integrity of the performance space becomes compromised. If Sharp and Shawcroft found some link between the story and the abrupt reminder that we are in a theatre, the sensational moment could have worked. However, there is no follow-through and as an audience member you don’t know what to do with this extra information in relation to the play.

A Kiss For Cinderella by JM Barrie is a beautiful hidden gem that is perfectly suited for the festive season. Sharp can be applauded for recognising the play’s potential and giving it a moment in the spotlight. This show promises praiseworthy acting and fun moments for an overall charming Christmas story.