A Very Very Bad Cinderella

“If you are looking for a fun night out, this show is a must!”

With the run up to Christmas well and truly underway so is panto season.

A Very Very Bad Cinderella is a musical parody with a mix between the classic Cinderella story and the much talked about Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella”, hence the show’s title, but aimed purely at an audience aged 16+, and it doesn’t disappoint. This production also has a feel of reality TV and is a bit of TOWIE meets Made in Chelsea.

With a cast of only four, not including the Fairy Godmother in the shape of the wonderful Oscar Conlon-Morrey, this is a fast paced and very funny show.

The story has a modern day twist and is mainly focused around the Ugly Sisters,  Fanny and Vajayjay played by the very funny Veronica Green and the equally talented Imelda Warren-Green respectively. 

One of the many funny scenes comes when Imelda Warren-Green gives a history of her numerous encounters with men exclusively using show titles.  She also holds up pictures to help the joke visually and also to assist those not familiar with all musical theatre shows.

May Tether takes on the role of the modern day Cinderella and plays the part well. She has a lovely voice and connects well with the audience.

Keanna Bloomfield plays Buttons and The Prince as well as a couple of other small parts, and carries this off well. Some of her adlibs are well rehearsed and very natural, particularly when alternating between her two main characters.

Jodie Prenger & Neil Hurst have done a wonderful job with the writing. There are constant jokes about the lack of budget, gags about some West End Stars and a couple of TV presenters thrown in for good measure, and even a cameo by Gordon the Gopher. The songs are all parody of popular musical theatre tunes, including the “Hardup Sisters” (Schuyler Sisters) from Hamilton, Six from Six The Musical, The Prom, Everybody's Talking About Jamie and many many others. The well written script even contains well known phrases from other shows such as Blood Brothers and makes a more subtle form of humour. There is the usual audience participation with the 'booing' and 'hissing' of the Ugly Sisters, however their response is not the norm, but very funny.

Lizzy Connolly’s direction works well as there isn’t a huge stage to work on but she has made good use of what space there is. Likewise Reuben Speed has done an excellent job with the set and costumes. The set doesn’t change and is a very sparkly pink with the addition of two silver toilets which are put to good use. The costumes are also simple but work really well.

Despite this being an adult show, the use of “bad” language, innuendo, together with the double and sometimes single entendre isn’t too much and only adds to the humour and charm.

If you are looking for a fun night out, this show is a must!

This show was reviewed on the 6th December 2023.  A Very Very Bad Cinderella runs at The Other Palace, London until the 7th January 2024.  Tickets available here: A Very Very Bad Cinderella - The Other Palace Theatre

Review written by Jon Harris

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Photo credit: Danny Kaan

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