Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella — Review

Growing up, I was never much of a fan of the Cinderella fairytale. In fact, fairytales largely failed to charm me at all – I didn’t like how predictable they were, how exhausted they had become in popular culture, and the recurrent victim narrative when it came to female characters. I’m pleased to say that MusT’s version of the classic tale convinced me otherwise.

As of late, MusT have experimented with more niche productions, from Jekyll and Hyde to the upcoming Bonnie and Clyde. The Byre itself plays host to many other zany (and often student-written) productions to mixed results. As much as expanding one’s theatrical dictionary can be exciting, opting for a classic tale this time around certainly helped to engage the audience and was a well-executed ‘safe choice’.

Using Rogers and Hammerstein’s version as a springboard, the cast and crew of the production staged the show with simplicity and humour. Particular comedic highlights include the charismatic double act of Callum Wardman-Browne’s dictatorial courtier and Struan Barker’s passionate revolutionary, two typically masculine characters played with great energy and effeminacy. Barker’s Jean-Michel had moments of Les Miserables heroism, the closest to social commentary that the narrative really comes, but ultimately this pair’s relationship was the most pantomime element of the show and a strong contender to the central romantic narrative.

Likewise, Cinderella’s evil family, whose malice is often over exaggerated, were a great source of comedy. Madeleine Wilton, playing the stepmother, delivered lines of incessant and scathing cruelty so nonchalantly that I found myself simultaneously laughing at the pantomime element and wincing at her horrific behaviour. Emma Koonce, as the supposedly more minor stepsister in the narrative, brought great spirit to a role that can often descend into pantomime drama. In ‘Stepsister’s Lament’, Koonce’s song of jealousy towards her more lucky-in-love sister clearly delighted the audience, and she turned a supporting role into a highlight. Clara Curtis, although playing the other sister in this cruel entourage, skillfully garnered the audience’s empathy from early on in the production. With similar desires to marry out of her class as Cinderella, she made the transition from being seemingly malicious to compassionate seamless. MusT definitely does sisterhood well, as seen in their 2023 production of Little Women, and this was no exception. 

Unlike in some productions, where ensemble members lack energy, Cinderella’s were hugely engaged and clearly having a fantastic time on stage. In particular, Calia Reilly and Adam Mercer delighted as ‘toys come to life’, transforming into the animals towing Cinderella’s carriage. Their loose dancing style was exactly how one imagines animals turned anthropomorphic to move. In fact, dance was integral to the entire production, from ceilidh-esque reeling between knights to romantic ballroom dances both disciplined and energised.

Cinderella herself, played by Hanna Ward, is not an easy part: the character can seem too perfect, not to mention a little anti-feminist as she fawns over her prince. But Ward’s impeccable singing and air of likeability clearly won over an adoring crowd whose voices are surely hurting from cheering this morning. A particular highlight was ‘In My Own Little Corner’, a song lamenting her lack of freedom and wildest dreams, with transitions from whimsical fantasy to doleful hopelessness steered adeptly by Ward. Her chemistry with her fairy Godmother, played by Bella Yow, was sweet, and Yow was deeply charming in both her ‘crazy’ and magical forms. 

Naturally the focal point of the narrative is Cinderella’s relationship with the prince, Topher. Ian Crews’ version of the handsome Prince was less macho than usual, which was refreshing and helped give the character depth. His depiction of a lost young man was convincing, and in scenes with Wardman-Browne there was an excellent sense of contrast in ambition. The sense of the prince’s lack of assurance charmed me in Act I, but I would have liked his emotions to become more amplified in the latter half of the show, particularly in moments of urgency in his pursuing of and love confession to Cinderella. Together with Ward, they had a fantastic sense of blend of musicality when singing. Crews’ voice shone particularly in ‘Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?’ in which he examines his affections for Cinderella while slow dancing with her. 

The narrative structure of the musical itself was oddly messy: the end of part 1 could have been a bit shorter, with the romantic ballroom scene going on seemingly endlessly which slightly diminished its effect. Act 2 also felt less full of narrative richness and witty one-liners, but MusT kept the energy up despite this slight weakness in the script. One thing I did wonder about was the geography of everything, with the prince seemingly ruling over the entire United Nations based on the discord of English, Scottish and American voices. The disparity in accents was an unusual choice, but definitely better than the dodgy mix of American impressions that sometimes comes with a uniform approach. Speaking more as themselves seemingly aided the actors to tap into the characters and make each of them stand out individually.

Set-wise, for scenes in Cinderella’s house and the wilderness, a painted curtain provided a forest backdrop. At moments of transition to the royal palace, it would lift to show an elaborate multi-tiered ballroom. With sparing use of other props, the production had clearly taken its limited budget in its stride – providing some great humorous moments, as with Cinderella’s carriage, constructed with wheelchairs. In terms of special effects, there was copious usage of neon spiral projections as if at a year six disco. I can’t pretend I loved the way these looked, but it was oddly endearing; it felt as though the producers had accepted that this would not be the greatest visual spectacle of a show – MusT doesn’t exactly have the funds of Phantom of the Opera or Wicked. To convey the fairytale magic, the narrative instead was relied upon, but its success was testament to the strength of the cast. One outstanding visual effect was Cinderella’s transitions from destitute girl to princess, her dress appearing to morph in a single spin at the behest of the Fairy Godmother’s wand.

Cinderella was the kind of production that is the perfect prescription for any stressed and disenfranchised student. The audience was won over by good and evil characters alike, all of whose actors just seemed to be having a wonderful time onstage. MusT has proven that Cinderella doesn’t just have to be a dusty fairytale of childhood, but a production with mass appeal to all.  

Photos by Louise Anderbjork