Metro Theatre invites you to the King’s Christmas Ball in Cinderella: A Traditional British Panto until January 5, 2025. For its 39th year, Metro Theatre welcomes the holidays with the can’t-miss family favourite event onstage for another season of screaming, shouting, singing and scenery-chewing hi-jinx.
Written and directed by the acclaimed Shel Piercy, with choreography by Shelley Stewart Hunt and music direction by Arielle Ballance, Cinderella brings much merriment and music, both traditional and adaptations of contemporary pop tunes. The cast of newcomers and seasoned veterans sing and dance to a script (loosely) inspired by the classic story. History comes full circle with the tale that originated the fairy godmother character, long a requirement of every good panto. This production’s good fairy provides Mary Cleaver plenty of rhyming couplets and comedy as she supports Cinderella played by an effervescent Alyson Vance. Offsetting the good with the bad demon, Monsieur Couper du Bois (the wood cutter) is played with green gusto by Terrance Zhou.
In the comical fairyland set by Francesca Albertazzi, we find a populace potpourri including a stern, traditionalist Monsignor – played by TV Tech Guru, Steve Dotto – who believes every woman needs a husband to guide them through life. Central to the village shoemaker, Dame Imelda D’Chouez – the brilliantly, big, bold and bawdy Matt Ramer – keeps shop with apprentice Louis (Lou) Button. Played, in usual gender-flip fashion, by Tirion Jones, who constantly reminds that it’s pronounced the French-way “Lou Boutin”.
At the shop we also meet Cinderella’s wicked stepmother (Julia Wong) who always ‘wants to speak to the manager’, complaining about her custom shoes for the Ball. The King has decreed that all single women in the kingdom will attend the Christmas Ball, to be matched with a husband by the Monsignor, possibly even the prince! True to the tale, Cinders is left at home but thanks to the fairy and Dame heads to the ball, will she be able to avoid the demon and find her ever after?
Whilst everyone arrives at the ball, the Dame leads the cast and audience in Metro Theatre’s traditional interactive singing of The 12 Days of Christmas. Far from the only audience interactions, with patrons of all ages belting out cheers and jeers along with the usual “Look Behind You“, “Oh, No It Isn’t” and groans for the Dame’s bad puns. Cinderella, The Panto moves at pace with a barrage of belly laughs and bursts of song and dance that brings all the family to their feet. Wrapping up Cinderella’s story in a satisfyingly modern way, audiences are sent on their way with a smile in their hearts, and wishes of a Merry Christmas.
Always interactive, always entertaining, Cinderella is another joyous romp for the whole family to enjoy at Metro Theatre, 1370 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, until January 5, 2025. Look for tickets and show times at metrotheatre.com with special performances including December 20th Talk Back, December 21, 22, 23 Santa at Metro, December 26 Boxing Day Matinee, January 1 Champagne Performance and January 3 Post-Show Sing Along