Cinderella at Watford Palace Theatre**** (From Harrow Times)

Cinderella at Watford Palace Theatre****

11:29am Friday 4th December 2009 in Local Reviews By Frazer Ansell

Cinderella has been given the Palace treatment and a thoroughly good job director Kate Saxon and her team have done.

The set and costumes are striking, particularly Cinders’ ornate carriage and the sassy and saucy outfits worn by evil step-mum (Michele Moran) and Fairy Godmother (Laura Doddington), both providing welcome eye candy for the dads.

The comedy is carried along nicely by the Ugly Sisters (Donovan F Blackwood and Peter Holdway). It never fails to amaze how liberated a man in fishnet tights and a micro-mini skirt appears to be. I don’t think I was alone in thinking the sisters had a touch of Walliams and Lucas in Little Britain about them. They were very slapstick, very funny and very good to watch, particularly in the haunted bedroom scene.

There is plenty of booing and hissing to be done and a good variety of songs (the Beatles, Abba and Queen) to sing along to.

As far as the adults are concerned, Cinderella is a timeless tale of optimism and strength in adversity; the triumph of good over evil, of benevolence over avarice, of love over spite.

But what did the kids think of the show? I went along with my eight-year-old daughter Phoebe and this is what she had to say: “It was wicked. The ugly sisters were very, very ugly but very funny. Cinderella (Bethan Walker) was beautiful but sad until she met the Prince and then she was beautiful but happy.

“The Fairy Godmother was kind and funny and I wish I had one. The carriage and clothes she made for Cinderella were amazing.

“I think this was the best Cinderella I’ve seen.”

Phoebe’s verdict is good enough for me.

Cinderella runs until Saturday, January 2. For tickets call 01923 225671.

Frazer and Phoebe Ansell