Wednesday, 18 December 2013

Cinderella - The Unicorn





FIVE STARS

CINDERELLA is one of the great fairy stories most kids know - a girl who is mistreated by her wicked step-mother but who eventually wins the hand of the handsome Prince Charming.
And a fantastic, modern re-imagining of the story by theatre company Travelling Light, is brought beautifully to life at the Unicorn Theatre.
When Ella's mother dies, she is brought up by her devoted and loving father who not only teaches her to dance but he also teaches her the names and calls of the woodland birds that surround her home.
Together they spend happy hours together in the forest. But before long her father re-marries and Ella's peaceful life is turned upside down by some new and unpleasant relations - namely her step-mother and her twin children.
Tragedy strikes soon after the wedding with the untimely and perhaps suspicious death of her father and things are never the same again for Ella.
Her step-mother forces her away from her beloved feathered friends and the woods and forces her to clean all day and sleep by the fire at night.
But one day Ella escapes back to the forest and meets a fellow bird enthusiast trying to find some ellusive birds.
They become friends, but all is not as it seems.
It is an utterly delightful show with a great script and a far cry from the schmalzy saccharine Disney version - and all the better for it. In fact in places it's quite dark too - think hacked off toes!
But with a stellar cast of five including Sarah Kameela Impey as Cinderella and Mark Kane as the unconventional Prince, beautiful music and puppetry all tied together in a quirky, funny and cleverly written story, this is a total joy.

Cinderella is on at the Unicorn Theatre, Tooley Street until January 5.
Tickets cost from £15. Visit www.unicorntheatre.com or call the box office on 020 7645 0560


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