Disclaimer: We received our tickets to this Panto in exchange for this post, as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own**
I do love this time of year. The Christmas tree is up, the kids are constantly singing Christmas Carols, we pop on the Christmas movies at the weekends and I’ve cracked open the Baileys to write the Christmas Cards…and what really screams Christmas is coming is heading off to see a Panto as a family.
We did this at the weekend and if you are able to get to North Finchley (easily accessible on the Northern Line) then I highly recommend you book tickets to see Cinderella The Rockin’ Panto at the Artsdepot.
Cinderella – The Rockin’ Panto written and directed by Peter Rowe and is running at Artsdepot (N12) from Saturday 30 November – Sunday 5 January 2020.
This is more than your typical Panto production – there are 10 actors who are not only brilliant singers/actors but they all are very gifted musicians too – they will have you toe-tapping and dancing in your seats in awe at their talents. The actors play electric guitars, drums, trombones, trumpets and more.
You will feel like you are at a pop concert while watching a Panto – with chart-topping hits from Rock, Pop and Soul classics – you will be singing away while it is all played live in front of you.
Everyone has a fairy Godmother, don’t you know? and Cinders has a poptastic one who rocks her socks off at every opportunity.
Prince charming is best friends with a Popstar ‘Dandini’ who is a babe magnet and tries to teach the young Prince all he knows about getting the girl of his dreams. After all – there are only three steps to getting the girl to fall in love with you – following these steps will the Prince find true love?
Think fairy godmothers meet top of the pops in this festive musical extravaganza with all the hallmarks of a traditional fun-filled and family-friendly panto – as Cinders gets ready to Rock Around the Clock and Shake a Tail Feather at the ball…where hopefully for the ugly stepsisters at least it will be Raining Men when they are In the Midnight Hour!
The charming and shy Buttons is madly in love with Cinders, who is blissfully unaware.
The Mayor of the town, Baron Haerdup is Cinderella’s father, who is all set to marry the eligible ‘lady’ he’s been matched with on a dating app Rubella De Zees, who of course, turns up with her 2 daughters, the ugly sisters Hernia and Verruca.
Nothing ends up as planned when she finds out he is bankrupt so she sets her sights on her daughters marrying the Prince.
There’s a ball, missing shoes, a search for the girl who the slipper fits but that’s about as far as the similarities between this Panto and the children’s fairytale goes.
There is so much audience participation in this show too from your traditional “He’s behind you” and “Oh no it isn’t” to shouting for Buttons to Bash the key snatchers to jumping up out of your seats as the audience run through the aisles chasing the Ugly sisters to get the shoe back.
This is the BEST Panto we have ever seen – hands down – it was just brilliant.
Never before have I seen a show where the audience refuses to leave the theatre. Usually, people are leaving their seats during the final curtain call but not for this show. The cast came back for an extra song and had the whole audience up on their feet dancing in their seats and down the aisles to “shut up and dance with me”, while they sang and played their instruments.
Packed full of songs to sing along to and peppered with a good dose of panto sparkle and slapstick – all performed by this gifted group of actor-musicians – Cinderella: The Rockin’ Panto has something for everybody. Expect two and a half hours of Christmas cheer, musical madness and a toe-tapping treat for all the family.
The kids are already asking if we can go back to see it again – and if I am honest – I would happily go back. It was absolutely brilliant.
And if you still need convincing just how fantastic this show is – just watch the embedded video below:
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Clare
Hi, I'm Clare (Emmy's Mummy). A former Nanny and Mother of 2 - Emmy (born February 2010) and Harry (born October 2012). We are Essex based and share our adventures and misadventures of a busy crazy life.
Clifford the big red dog