CINDERELLA

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

★★★★

“transport yourself to a land of merry magic, music, and magnificent comedy”

Cinderella at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House is the perfect addition to any festive family plans. Directed excellently by Glen Murphy, this hilarious panto brings a sparkle of magic to Newcastle this December.

Ready to go with a gorgeous set and all its classic panto gags; Cinderella just about hits all the beats. Not a moment is wasted to get a chuckle, boo, or “he’s behind you” from the audience, and the flow of the show is quick-paced and engaging. Buttons, played by Charlie Richmond, punctuates every scene he is in with fabulously hilarious one-liners and ad-libs, and keeps the pace of the show chugging on. Moreover, Guy Pascall, Charlie Richmond, and Tom Whalley’s writing is laugh-a-second and knows how to get even the grumpiest of parents to respond with “oh no he didn’t”.

The script does have a reliance on reinforcing quite a traditional fairy-tale message. Although Cinderella makes a point of celebrating meeting someone that values her in her prince, it would also have been positive to have more emphasis on Cinderella’s escape from her toxic sisters, and independence from that environment, rather than her dreams entirely revolving round finding a man to marry. The unnecessary addition of a romantic plot with Buttons does also give some food for thought. I can’t help but wonder how much more enjoyable a purely platonic relationship between Cinderella and Buttons from the get-go might be.

Expectedly straying occasionally from the well-known fairy-tale, the show allows lesser-known characters such as the prince’s footmen (played brilliantly by dance duo Twist and Pulse) to the forefront to really shine. They are truly standout across the show, mesmerising the audience with tirelessly funny and astonishing dancing. Jamie Corner as Prince Canny and Robbie Dee as Baron Hardup round off the cast well. Dee’s slapstick comedy is stupendous, and Corner keeps up the pace with the demanding choreography he performs alongside with Twist and Pulse.

Kerry Blaskett-Wetherall’s choreography is spellbinding and uplifts the talented dancing ability of the ensemble. Overall, the dancing strength of the cast out-shines the vocal punch of the show. However, there are some standout singers. the show’s tremendous leading lady, Scarlett Robinson, impressively displays both her acting and singing talent as Cinderella, creating a truly memorable experience that will leave both kids and adults speechless. The live band also add to the seamless magic of the production, lifting every scene with live sound effects, fourth wall breaks, and moving swiftly between the variety of catchy pop song medleys. Most song choices feel current and give nods to music enjoyed by kids and their parents, including the likes of Backstreet Boys and ABBA, but also KPop Demon Hunters and Wicked. Admittedly, some music feels a tad dated, and the constant medleys do feel somewhat excessive at times. I couldn’t help but feel cheated of hearing longer versions of some song-choices, especially when Robinson sings them so beautifully.

The Ugly Stepsisters, played by Lewis Denny and Micky Cochrane, are everything audiences want panto dames to be. Their scenes are overflowing with quick-wit innuendo and enormous energy, interacting with the audience with close-to-the-bone one-liners. Their matching over-the-top costuming, by David Gibson and Alice Frith, is worth buying a ticket for alone. Equally, Maureen Nolan’s Fairy Godmother adds a lot to her magical performance. Nolan’s highlights include her rendition of her hit ‘I’m In the Mood for Dancing’, where fans of the song and Nolan can enjoy its up-beat fun; perfectly befitting a Prince’s ball! Nolan’s lines and delivery feel a little cheesy as she appears across the show- but isn’t that made for pantomime?

Ideal for the whole family; this is not a show to miss! Head down to Cinderella at the Tyne Theatre and Opera House to transport yourself to a land of merry magic, music, and magnificent comedy.

CINDERELLA

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

Reviewed on 13th December 2025

by Molly Knox

Photography by Limelight Studios

Cinderella

★★★★★

“an incredibly creative and comical work of genius”

Potted Panto is a brilliant, fun and hilarious explosion of spectacular panto goodness! Written by Daniel Clarkson, Jefferson Turner and Richard Hurst we speed through six well known pantomimes, and are led by the leading stars Daniel Clarkson and Gary Trainor. They both shift and swap between playing the hosts, narrators and characters for each of the stories bringing to life well known stories with side splitting and rib tickling twists and turns.

Upon entering the auditorium you are immediately welcomed with well known Christmas jingles and songs getting you in the spirit for some festive tradition. The stage (Simon Scullion) is set with five windows, a door and a chest, all of which is lavishly draped in deep Christmas red velvet. Amongst these things is a podium holding a very large book, immediately setting a tone of anticipation for a bombardment of entertaining storytelling along with the mystery of who we’re about to meet. Who will be appearing in these windows and doors? What could be stored in the chest? What stories are in this oversized book that will have us cackling in mere moments. The excitement was palpable.

We very quickly meet our storytellers for the evening and they captivate the audience in a moment’s breath. The dynamic duo stun us with high energy and witty humour getting us prepped and primed for the madness that will come. You will hardly believe that these two could possibly move through so many pantomime stories and characters all whilst keeping us tickled, but they were both spewing absolute mastery in holding the audience, embodying multiples characters and giving us ALL the jokes and pantomime tropes possible. It was just out of this world how talented these two men were on stage, they made what on paper seems impossible, look slick and somewhat organised! Yes, it was naturally chaotic but they lean so far into absolute absurdity that we have no choice but to join in and enjoy the utter silliness of it all.

The Potted Panto script itself is a work of art alone, Clarkson, Turner and Hurst take the most important and iconic scenes and present them to us with a fresh new lens, they also zoom into things that are often overlooked and make them unforgettable. We see new and returning characters all made hilariously fun. The script is extremely up to date and relevant for all ages, there is really something for everyone to enjoy.

It’s really no wonder why Potted Panto is Olivier Nominated, it’s an incredibly creative and comical work of genius. We have all the traditional pantomime rules and traditions made better without losing any of the nostalgia and comforts of a pantomime at Christmas.

The talent really runs through this production, from singing and acting appearances of the stage managers, James Guilliford and Georgia Corrigan. To the costumes (Nicky Bunch), which were ingeniously put together to support a vast amount of quick changes but not forgetting iconic outfits and hilarious put-together costumes that deserve a laugh and a round of applause independently.

The sound, music and sound effects (Tom Lishman, Mark Cunningham and Drew Jameson) keep us singing and laughing throughout, helping the energy to stay high and joyful, you just want to join in with everything.

All in all Potted Panto is a glorious night out. It’s everything you want in (six!) pantomimes and even more. Get ready to get involved, have a laugh, cringe and cry if you’re wanting to see this masterpiece. It is truly worth every penny.

Tag Archives: Panto

CINDERELLA

★★★★

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

CINDERELLA

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

★★★★

“transport yourself to a land of merry magic, music, and magnificent comedy”