Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella

The rags to riches story is recounted in a very traditional context, emphasising its European heritage. The small local village and the grand beautiful castle are all designed to evoke the typical fairy tale locations. This is all done tastefully and with an eye to captivating younger audience members. The forest scenes are colourful and dynamic and made extremely pleasant by the presence of animal puppetry and Cinderella’s carriage, which carries her off to the ball, is animated by a dazzling and sparkling array of lights.

The visual feast reaches its pinnacle with the incredibly rapid costume changes. The transitions are visually stunning and lightning fast which really accentuates the magical atmosphere of the show. The story line is simple but dynamic and the combination of song, dance and dialogue is well balanced to create a well-paced narrative. The dancing accentuates the colourful and majestic costuming yet is fast paced, nimble and exciting.

Strong performances by the cast keep the audience engaged and strike the right balance for the intended audience. The style is naturalistic but allows some space for some satire and parody without going overboard. The role of Madam (Tina Bursill) particularly lends itself to this aspect and Bursill performs this with relish. Ella (Shubshri Kandiah) is portrayed as humble and sweet but also caring and decisive. Prince Topher (Ainsley Melham) explores the ambivalence and pressures of leadership and gives the princely character some shape. This singing is delightful and Kandiah and Melham, together with the entire cast, exhibit some extraordinary vocal talent.

This is a production that chooses to highlight the importance of being caring and kind. It makes a point of driving home the message that your daily actions are choices you make, and they will determine your future. The tone of this messaging turns out to be a very timely one.

Patricia Di Risio 

Photographer: Jeff Busby