Every Cinderella has a fairy godmother. Every Cinderella except for the one in Milton Keynes, that is; our hard done-by lass has her very own Fairy Gokmother to help magic her away from scrubbing the floors and into the Prince's arms.
And as it is Gok Wan doing the wand waving, Cinders has one heck of a fabulous frock too, writes Sammy Jones.
It doesn't take long to realise that the production of Cinderella now showing at Milton Keynes Theatre is a stellar one, and with Brian Conley in the familiar role of Buttons, we are in the hands of a real showman.
It's relatively easy to find someone who can act, or sing, or raise a smile in the world of seasonal shows, but find us someone who can do it all fabulously, and ad-lib awesomely. That's a whole lot harder.
Show producers wanted someone capable of bringing 'belly laughs' and Brian is that man.
It's not simply about the delivery of a witty, sharp script (which Brian co-penned that with producer Michael Harrison).
The key to such a classy delivery lies in the attention to every little detail too, and nothing has been overlooked.
If there is a better Buttons in panto land, we've yet to see him, and we've been at this panto game for a very long time ourselves.
There are two lines of communication as standard – one for the adults, and one for the youngsters. A smattering of double-entendre here, and hearty tongue-in-cheek moments there.
Look up the word entertainer in the dictionary (does anyone remember those heavy wordy things?) and you should find Brian's name.
His infectious, unfussy fun is worth the ticket-price alone, and comes with a fair dose of toilet humour.
The uglies, Tess and Claudia, hate children: “...especially children from Milton Keynes!” they declare, thus setting up the 'boo' factor.
Buttons loves Cinders, but she has met the Prince (the dashing Matthew Goodgame) and is desperate to go to the ball to see him again. This is a fairytale classic after all, and there can be no messing with the storyline, but the Ugly Sisters have other ideas for their step-sister, and make her rip up her invitation.
Sellotape has yet to be invented in panto land, and so fixing the issue isn't as easy as it might be...
It's down to our Fairy Gokmother to transform our downtrodden lovely (played expertly by the fantastic Lauren Hall) with a Gok Fashion Fix; and Cinders becomes Princess Starlight for the night.
The uglies have put their all into their attire too, and arrive at the ball dressed as oversized chandeliers - to provide the 'light entertainment,' they declare.
Funniest moments? Too many to mention – the wall sketch certainly isn't new, but it is particularly amusing, the Alexa sat-nav gag is a goodie, the spin on Britain's Got Talent is terrific, and one-liners blanket the stage almost as much as the snow that has carpeted the outside of the theatre when we take in the performance.
Together, Gok and Brian really are a dream team, the set is suitably sparkly and sensational, the special effects brilliant (youngsters will love the carriage which flies above the audience) and we must give mention to the ensemble, the youngsters from Dancebox Studios and the band who all play their part in making this the perfect panto.
The cosy feeling that Cinderella leaves you with is priceless. This show really brings Christmas alive. Book your ticket here
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