Dancer and choreographer Louie Spence plays panto strictly for laughs in the dazzling Cinderella at Milton Keynes Theatre this Christmas.
Tonight was press night when the outrageous star of Pineapple Dance Studios and reality TV put the sparkle into everyone’s favourite fairy tale.
It’s a novel twist casting someone who trades on his overt campness, a pronounced lisp and his larger-than-life personality, because it gives us a whole new range of gags which had the audience crying with laughter.
Ruggedly handsome Prince Charming (Andrew Derbyshire) wants to meet the girl of his dreams so he trades places with his aide-de-(very)camp, Dandini. The only problem is that the lovely and rather naive Cinders thinks she’s fallen for a cute blond who enjoys a game of rugger. Instead she is introduced to a vision in pink spangles who likes nothing better than giving us a twirl, doing the splits (very impressive from a man of 43), and shaking his booty at every opportunity. Butch is definitely not his middle name.
This special edition Cinderella is five-star family entertainment packed with a lot of cheek and a ton of fairy dust. Spence powers onto the stage like a little human dynamo and it’s impossible to take his mischievous double entendres seriously. The knowing looks, the posing and pouting are pure Kenneth Williams. Whether or not you’re a fan of Strictly Come Dancing or any of his TV shows, it’s impossible not to be entranced by his mega-watt personality.
He gets a huge cheer when he appears and the jokes are obvious. “I’m looking for a top man,” says the Prince. “Aren’t we all dear!” exclaims Dandini. “For goodness sake, Dandini, walk like a man,” shouts his exasperated boss. Spence swaggers across the stage and starts chatting up a girl in the audience. “I can do it if I want to - I just don’t want to!” he declares and flounces off.
But this isn’t just the Louie Spence Show. He’s got a tremendous cast around him that make this a must-have ticket for the festive season. Multi-talented comic and musician Kev Orkian leads the story as the unlucky-in-love Buttons and he does a grand job. Children of all ages adored his family-friendly jokes, put downs and amiable asides. His turn at the piano, belting out Elton John’s I’m Still Standing (the scratched version!), was hysterical and very clever.
Deniece Pearson, who made her name with the pop group Five Star, is the very image of a Fairy Godmother. Dressed in a stunning costume, she has proved an inspired casting choice.
Children’s TV presenter Anna Williamson makes a delightful Cinderella. She’s bags of personality, and a great singing voice, and her transformation scene is slickly done. It was a magical moment for lots of little girls in the audience who saw a girl dressed in rags appear to change, in a flash, into a dazzling ball gown. It is a little bit of stage mystique that gets better over the years as technology improves.
The boos and hisses came loudly and frequently as the nastiest pair of Uglies in pantoland came on to torment their step-sister, Cinderella. Paul Burnham (with a cracking pair of pins) plays Peaches with John Barr as his sis Pixie. They, of course, get the best and wackiest costumes plus most of the best lines.
This isn’t your traditional Cinderella; this is Louie Spence’s Cinderella. It’s as un-PC and as fluffy as they come but wonderfully entertaining. Just before the finale he leads the dancers in a fantastic tap number, Fabulous Feet, which includes some of the juvenile dancers on stage. It’s a glitzy, razzle dazzle, lead-up to a sensational wedding finale. One of the venue’s best pantos in years.
Cinderella runs until January 6. For tickets call the box office 0844 871 7652 or go online to www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
Next year it is Snow White, running from December 6 2013 - January 5 2014, and tickets are on sale now (yes, really!)