★★★★

“Sumptuous, hilarious, sparkling and completely over the top”

The most magical thing about watching Cinderella is that you know the story, the characters and the outcome. It is a universal story of adversity and justice, and the transformative powers of love and kindness. It has been performed, in various adaptations, possibly millions of times around the world. In Britain alone, it is one of the most frequently mounted pantomimes.

Yet, in the hands of a masterly production, you can still be enthralled. In fact, much of the enchantment comes from the fact you DO know what’s going on. So, in the audience, you become collaborator and co-creator, and in some weird way, know that the success of the evening is greatly down to you.

That’s enough theorising – Hackney Empire’s seasonal Cinderella, in the hands of writer Will Brenton and director Clive Rowe, delivers that masterly production. Sumptuous, hilarious, sparkling and completely over the top. Brenton and Rowe are masters. The credits in the programme are too long to even begin a selection, but think productions of The Addams Family and Chicago – Rowe has been involved in these and many more. With such credentials, the evening guaranteed brilliance.

For a start there was a proper band. Led by Wendy Gadian as musical director and arranger, the four musicians managed to sound like a complete orchestra. The music – a mix of classic Christmas and contemporary pop with original material and songs by Steven Edis – yielded sophisticated dance numbers, rousing choruses, some poignant solos and great audience involvement. At one point, a few songsters joined in from the stalls even before the invitation.

Then there was the villain – the wicked stepmother. Gloriously attired in costumes by designer Cleo Pettitt, and prowling about the stage to audience boos, Alexandra Waite-Roberts was, for me, the outstanding act. She is a musical performer of the highest calibre with huge on-stage charisma. Her song number ‘I am going to live till I die’ and a short Bob Fosse-style dance sequence (choreography by Michael Ward) were two of the show’s delights.

But then picking out any performer seems churlish. Kat B and George Heyworth as Flatula and Nausea (the Ugly Sisters) held the show together. Jade Johnson as the Fairy Godmother and Siobhan James as Cinderella were the charmers, while Nicholas McLean, as a cheeky Buttons hopelessly in love with Cinders, gave us a light touch of pathos – as well as being a belting singer.

It was a big ensemble, appropriate for the gorgeous Hackney Empire. Supporting the main cast and ensemble were 25 students from the Vestry School of Dance and Performing Arts. Every one was excellently integrated and a credit to the show.

The final must-mention was the on-stage spectacle delivered by a hugely talented creative, production and technical team with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by Richard Bell. The backdrops were all spun with glitter – we got a frost festival, a woodland glade, a castle on a mountain and Hardup Hall, home to Cinderella and her stepsisters. As the first act closes and the fairy godmother sends Cinders to the ball, the technics were all pulled out and a piece of completely awesome stage magic was performed to gasps by the audience. It would be quite wrong to spoil the moment. Go and see for yourself.

Do you need reminding of the story? Cinderella is a classic folk tale (French) of a virtuous working girl extremely down on her luck and being bullied. But her beauty and goodness have been noticed and there is a handsome prince loose in the district – Hackney in the Holly in this case – who is looking for a wife (and to be recognised for himself). So, Hey Presto! Magic brings the two together and all wrongs are righted. In the meantime we have all enjoyed nearly three hours of laughter, sung along to some great music, been awestruck, thrilled and thoroughly satisfied. What better way to open the Christmas season?

SUPERSONIC MAN

Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity”

Just to get a couple of things out of the way to begin with. The title of Chris Burgess’ new musical, “Supersonic Man”, is misleading. So is the Marvel comic styled publicity artwork. Oh, and also the backdrop of David Shields’ set that depicts an over-sized ‘Greetings from Brighton’ postcard. None of this does remotely does what it says on the tin. Whether intentional or not, that is in fact a blessing. If you ignore the packaging and leave behind any preconceptions you might have, you are in for a real treat.

The ‘supersonic man’ in question is a young chap called Adam (Dylan Aiello), living a charmed life with his partner Darryl (Dominic Sullivan) in Brighton, surrounded by good chums Shaz (Mali Wen Davies), Ruth (Jude St. James) and Ben (James Lowrie). It has a feel of the ‘Friends’ sitcom about it, but this dissipates as it morphs through other genres and influences. This chameleon quality is a reflection of the writing. We think it is going to be a biographical account of the real-life character, Peter Scott-Morgan, whose battle with motor neurone disease was famously chronicled in the TV documentary ‘Peter: The Human Cyborg’. But, as Burgess has said, his musical is ‘loosely inspired by’, rather than ‘based on’, Scott-Morgan’s story and consequently reveals more about the human spirit in general.

And spirit is something this musical has in spades. Burgess isn’t afraid to give the serious subject matter a camp, glossy and comedic veneer. One that makes us laugh and tap our feet along to the catchy numbers, but one that doesn’t conceal the message either. Adam and Darryl’s life together is shattered when Adam is diagnosed with the disease. The short and long-term reactions are portrayed with integrity and without sentimentality. Aiello manages to mix the strength of Adam’s resolve to fight with a confused and lost anger that just wants to lash out. Sullivan’s Darryl is the force that keeps him going, along with Davies’ brilliant, no-nonsense Shaz, St. James’ solidly empowering Ruth and Lowrie’s cheerfully mocking yet motivating Ben. Yes, the focus is on Adam, but this is a close-knit ensemble. With a fair bit of multi-rolling thrown in.

The share of the songs is equally democratic, although Sullivan does seem to have been dealt the best hand here. His number, ‘The Life We Live’, is a keenly observed and moving ballad, with a touch of Barry Manilow’s ‘Could it be Magic’. That could well sound like an insult, but in context it is actually a huge compliment. (Oh – a quick note: in the absence of a song list, I’m giving the numbers my own titles… apologies to Burgess in advance if they are misnamed). Later, ‘Give Me A Voice’ is a gem steeped in metaphor and double meaning. The cast may not have the strongest voices, but they do capture the energy and character of Burgess’ lyrics.

Already a successful author and expert in robotics, Peter Scott-Morgan embraced every technology going in order to fight the progression of his disease, using himself as a test subject to help the cause of others with extreme disability. The Channel 4 documentary celebrated the story. Burgess, however, uses the parallel to expose the media’s cynicism. A domestic argument caught on camera is described as ‘TV gold’. One-liners pepper the text that on the surface are throwaways but, on closer inspection, shield a wealth of meaning. ‘I am in denial of being in denial’ quips Adam. ‘Jesus loves you’ he is told, to which he wryly replies, ‘tell him he’s not my type’. As the show progresses, the comedy gives way to poignancy. ‘I want you to be my lover, not my carer’. The show also drifts away from reality into dreamscape, reminiscent of the Bob Fosse ‘All That Jazz’ biopic. While Adam lies on the operating table, we witness his thoughts and dreams during a surreal, out of body sequence.

Richard Lambert’s atmospheric lighting constantly adapts to the varying sequences of the show, while musical director Aaron Clingham’s arrangements suit the mood of each number. Some of the musical staging is a bit repetitive and overall, the show does have rough edges. An epilogue feels like an afterthought, but it is still deeply moving, and the show is truly celebratory. We have spent the best part of two hours laughing (sometimes guiltily) and enjoying some catchy tunes. We have also been surreptitiously given a lesson. Sly, eh? Still, they say the best way to get people to listen is to entertain them. “Supersonic Man” definitely entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity, with a powerfully honest love story running through it.

CINDERELLA

Hackney Empire

★★★★

“Sumptuous, hilarious, sparkling and completely over the top”

CINDERELLA

Hackney Empire

Reviewed on 4th December 2025

by Louise Sibley

Photography by Mark Senior

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Cinderella

Cinderella

Cinderella

SUPERSONIC MAN

Southwark Playhouse Borough

★★★★

“entertains with a heartwarming tale of courage in the face of adversity”

SUPERSONIC MAN

Southwark Playhouse Borough

Reviewed on 11th April 2025

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Louis Burgess

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SUPERSONIC MAN

SUPERSONIC MAN

SUPERSONIC MAN

JOIN US