This festive season you shall go to the ball as the magic comes to Hackney, or so Cinders’ fairy patron would have it.
The full cast has been unveiled for the show, which opens on November 22 with tickets now on sale.
Cinderella, played by Siobhan James, dreams of love and adventure, free from the clutches of her ugly sisters and wicked stepmother.
Then an invitation to the ‘party of the year’ arrives from the royal palace, which might be just the ticket she needs – but her wicked stepmother Oblivia and ugly sisters Flatula and Nausea have other ideas.
Throw in a pair of glass slippers and a little sparkle of magic and you have a seasonal panto that makes the perfect fit to entice Prince Charming!
This classic ‘rags to riches’ tale features the best pantomime ingredients with extravagant costumes, audience joining in and lots of songs and dances.
But have the ugly sisters really got an undeserved bad press from the storytellers over the years? You’ll have to judge.
The cast, along with Siobhan James’s Cinderella, includes Jade Johnson as Fairy Godmother, Nicholas McLean as Buttons, Alexandra Waite-Roberts as Wicked Stepmother Oblivia, Kat B returning for his 20th Hackney panto as Ugly Sister Flatula, George Heyworth as Ugly Sister Nausea, Chrissie Bhima as Dandini and Luke Latchman as Prince Charming.
Those supporting them are Christian De-Gallerie, Alex Ferro, Vieve Hamilton, Anna Maria Barber, Eloise Simpson, Clio Tamai and Matthew Tratch.
“Announcing the full Cinderella cast is my last panto as executive director,” Hackney Empire’s Jo Hemmant revealed. “Our panto has always been about community and world-class talent on stage — this year is no exception.”
Two cast members have risen through the theatre’s ‘creative development’ community programmes — Siobhan James started out in its ‘Creative Futures’ scheme and Christian De-Gallerie first appeared as a ‘Young Ensemble’ member.
The show has been created by director Clive Rowe, writer Will Brenton, costume designer Cleo Pettitt, composer Steven Edis, musical arranger Wendy Gadian, choreographer Michael Ward, lighting designer Tim Mitchell and sound designer Richard Bell.
Cinderella runs from Saturday November 22, nightly at 7pm up to New Year’s Eve. Tickets may need to be booked before the clock strikes 12!
