Berkshire

Couldn&#8217;t agree more. I think my favourite Reading panto, to date.

Unbelievable, stunningly beautiful, so so funny The best night I have had in many many years. Paul and Justin a modern day stan and oli..perfect

<a href="https://whatsonreading.com/cinders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Hexagon</a> in Reading&#8217;s panto is a&nbsp;red hot tradition in the Muddy house, fuelled largely by the purchase of&nbsp;flashing spinny things, popcorn (apologies for the mess under seat E79, we had a spillage)&nbsp;and&nbsp;the much-anticipated &#8216;12 Days Of Christmas’ showstopper that&nbsp;involves water pistols, toilet rolls and a bra that’s ‘made to hold three’. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74156" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1330-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



This year we&#8217;re treated to Cinderella, and if the storyline is a bit foggy&nbsp;(knocking back mulled wine from 1 December will do that), it&#8217;s a rags to riches tale of a sweet girl, bullied by her evil step mother and vile sisters, meets handsome boy. With the help of her Fairy Godmother she gets the guy and lives happily ever after. Argh.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74154" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1220-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



CBeebies demigod&nbsp;Justin Fletcher each year plays a version of the kind-hearted village idiot, takes on the role of Buttons (and scriptwriter), the son of Nanny Gumdrop (Paul Morse) who are the hired help at Tumbledown Manor and seemingly moonlight at Prince Charming&#8217;s palace, too. Together they play the crowd like the panto pros they are – sharp comic timing, warm personas, and they to speak to the audience like old pals knowing that many of the jokes and set pieces have been recycled. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74142" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime272-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



The big news for 2024 is that they&#8217;ve blown the budget on a digital set and sprinkled the show in more glitter than a Strictly final.&nbsp;No more clunky curtain drops and wobbly scenery. Instead, we have the same creative style, but it&#8217;s all animated. One minute you&#8217;re in the village, the next your head is in the clouds. It&#8217;s actually very cool and brings a cinematic quality to the show. Unfortunately, it means the cast and crew are now on&nbsp;a diet of baked beans for the entire run.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74160" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1992-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



Of course, there ain&#8217;t no panto party, without a talented cast: Carl Tracey returns to play the chisel-jawed Prince Charming who just like Ken, he&#8217;d be a 10;&nbsp;Samantha Dorrance plays Cinderella (Lily James&#8217;s doppelgänger from the 2015 Cinderella movie, great ball gown, amazing voice); Rachel Delooze and Bex Allingham as the Wicked Sisters bring attitude, comedy and a wardrobe that would make Karl Lagerfeld weep. Ally Cox&#8217;s Wicked Step Mother stumbled over her lines at the beginning (gallantly saved by Fletcher&#8217;s ad libbing and styled out by Cox) and could have a bit more menace for my liking, while Adam Pettigrew&#8217;s Dandini and Cassandra Lee&#8217;s Fairy Godmother were glossy, camp and sparkly in equal measure.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74150" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime921-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



There are some brilliant set pieces in the show. Everyone loves a fart joke and the windy Morris Dance was fun new addition. I&#8217;m not sure it lives up to the now legendary Balloon Ballet but it&#8217;s still laugh out loud. Queen&#8217;s Don&#8217;t Stop Me Now amped up the energy and Fletcher pulling out his rock guitar, complete with Elton John mega shades, was a highlight. 



The slapstick slosh scene was a little lacklustre this year. It felt very cautious – for fear of damaging the screens, perhaps? – but the audience howled nonetheless. It was only night two and the cast have rehearsed for just two weeks (mind-blowing, I know), so this may well be fine tuned as the production rolls. Usually, some poor unsuspecting fella is targeted in the audience, but during our performance nana Audrey was given the honour and she was more than happy to step into the spotlight for her 15 seconds of fame. There wasn&#8217;t a man in the front row who didn&#8217;t breathe a huge sigh of relief.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74141" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime198-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



The highlights? Well, aside from Fletcher and Morse who both do a phenomenal job as our Cinders&#8217; BFF and the dame, I loved Nanny G&#8217;s new wardrobe which looked like it had been stolen from Dolly Parton and Carmen Miranda, Cinders and Prince Charming&#8217;s moving duet was a pitch perfect moment and, of course, the set and costume departments excelled themselves.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853.jpg" alt="Cinderella at The Hexagon Reading panto" class="wp-image-74158" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/berkshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/12/hexagon-Pantomime1853-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit:&nbsp;Benji Walker Photographer</figcaption></figure>



Special mention to the Wicked Sisters – they could&#8217;ve stepped out of the Love Island&nbsp;villa. Traditionally seen as&nbsp;a couple of grotesque geezers, Rachel Delooze and Bex Allingham have&nbsp;a blast playing&nbsp;the &#8216;beautiful on the outside but ugly on the inside&#8217; role perfectly – spoiled, brattish and mean. Their bad behaviour at the ball gave me flashbacks to Christmas parties past. Oof.



Once again, Justin and the team have&nbsp;waved their magic wand and *poof* created panto perfection. Next year&#8217;s Beauty &amp; The Beast has a lot to live up to. But the clock is ticking on this festive treat, so buckle up, your glass coach awaits.



<a href="https://whatsonreading.com/cinders" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cinderella</a> at The Hexagon in Reading runs until 5 Jan 2025. Tel 0118 960 6060.

Review: Cinderella at The Hexagon in Reading, but will you have a ball?

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