There’s a new Cinderella in town.
And she’s cleaning up.
The classic fairytale has been given the musical treatment by Andrew Lloyd Webber (Phantom of the Opera, Cats, about a million others) and finally got its world debut this summer. Ol’ Andy lined up a suitably stunning talent pool to helm it: the book is by Emerald Fennel (who just won an Oscar), the music & lyrics are by David Zippel (who already won his Tony & Olivier awards), and it’s directed by Laurence Connor (whose awards are too many to mention here).
The story is set in the town of Belleville, an “aggressively picturesque” fairytale town whose residents will stop at nothing to achieve physical perfection. And that perfection is supplied by the Fairy Godmother, a “terrifying, megalomaniacal plastic surgeon-cum-couturier”. The only person who doesn’t buy into this superficial nonsense? Cinderella. She’s played by Carrie Hope Fletcher, and she’s loudmouthed, headstrong, and refuses to become the identikit beauty everyone expects her to be.
And as off-piste as this all sounds, the story nevertheless stays faithful to the original fairytale, and retains all of the classic moments. Pumpkins. Glass slippers. The lot. Although they do take the liberty of extending things a little beyond the typical ending.
It’s showing at the Gillian Lynne theatre in Drury Lane, which means that you can pop into Barrafina for a quick bite before the show, or grab some first-class seafood in a former fishmongers at Parsons. Then afterwards, you might be tempted to take in some of the wine at the 10 Cases, or any one of Covent Garden’s fine drinking establishments, whatever you fancy.
After all, if the shoe fits…
PLEASE NOTE: Cinderella has now ended at the Gillian Lyne Theatre.
NOTE: Cinderella runs at the Gillian Lynne Theatre (closest tube station Holborn) until 29th May 2022.
Gillian Lynne Theatre | 166 Drury Lane, WC2B 5PW
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