Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella Review – Gillian Lynne Theatre

You’ve got to hand it to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his determination to get Cinderella on the stage. After several false starts and postponements due to the pandemic and the pingdemic Cinderella has finally arrived. With a script written by Emerald Fennell, the classic fairy tale has been turned on its head and reinvented. And I have to say that is most certainly worth the wait and one to add to your theatre wishlist. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella is currently showing at Gillian Lynne Theatre.

Set in the town of Belleville, the most aggressively picturesque town in the history of the world. Populated exclusively with gorgeous townsfolk who will stop at nothing to achieve perfection, Belleville is a fairy tale come to life. The only person steadfastly refusing to live in the fairy tale is loud-mouthed, goth Cinderella. Her shallow stepmother and stepsisters loathe her, as does the town who want to drive her out of town.

Carrie Hope Fletcher is perfect in the role of bolshy Cinderella and has the most incredible singing voice. She commands the stage in the titular Bad Cinderella and powerfully belts out balled I Know I Have A Heart. Andrew Lloyd Webber has had a lot of fun with the soundtrack with enchanting melodies, boisterous guitar riffs and campy numbers. David Zippel’s clever lyrics elevate the score and where possible bring an element of comedy and wit.

Cinderella’s only friend, Prince Sebastian, has become heir to the throne following the disappearance of his brother Prince Charming. After a PR disaster for Belleville, The Queen decides the only way to save the town is a Royal Wedding. The change in circumstances leads to Cinderella and Sebastian questioning their relationship but it all feels too late. The townspeople would never accept alternative Cinderella as their Queen and so the Fairy Godmother steps in. She transforms Cinderella to the Belleville standards of beauty but is it enough to get her happily ever after?

I can’t say I was completely sold on the character of the Fairy Godmother. Instead of magic Cinderella metamorphoses into the bell of the ball through beauty treatments and plastic surgery. Gloria Onitiri has a great voice, but her number Beauty Has A Price was too over the top for my liking. I understand that it needed to be a big production as this was the pivotal moment of Cinderella’s transformation. But it felt forced and a bit too dramatic and dark compared to the whimsical godmother character we are used to.

The second act opens following Cinderella’s transformation with the Royal Ball and the expectation of Prince Sebastian choosing his bride. The costumes throughout the show are stunning but there’s something so effortlessly elegant about the Royal Ball costumes. Everyone was dressed to the nines, with elaborate wigs, a torrent of taffeta and bright chiffons for the women. And to make the ball even more magical the stage and several rows of the audience suddenly began to revolve. The only problem was if you were seated in the circle, you weren’t always able to see everything.

I must take a moment to give a massive shout out to Victoria Hamilton-Barritt. Playing the part of the stepmother to comedic perfection I was willing her to be on the stage more. She gets some of the best lines like when Cinderella hisses “The only I’ve learnt from you is to be a complete heartless bitch.” Taking a moment, she comes back with “I can’t take all the credit, you’re a natural.” Add little things like the hunching of her shoulders, the protruding jaw and it all comes together in a spectacular performance.

Despite having a few niggles, I would still highly recommend seeing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella at Gillian Lynne Theatre. With a catchy soundtrack, spectacular sets, and stunning costumes the show brings the magic in a non-conventional way. This is definitely a unique take on an old classic and I would happily watch it all over again. Now I’m off to listen to the Cinderella soundtrack on Spotify once again, it’s a really great listen.