Cinderella at the Tivoli Wimborne - Pantomime Review

 Wimborne, a quaint town nestled in the heart of Dorset, has once again transported its residents and visitors to a world of enchantment and magic with its annual pantomime. The Tivoli Theatre, with its historic charm and intimate ambiance, served as the perfect stage for Cinderella's enchanting tale.

Cinderella at the Tivoli, Wimborne

We were excited to be invited along to opening night of Cinderella and knew we were in for a treat from the very beginning. Regulars to the Wimborne panto will recognise lots of faces from previous shows and I was excited to hear that Courtney Jackson was returning, this time playing the the role of Fairy Godmother. Also returning to the Tivoli are Luke Attwood and Brandon Nicholson - we saw these two as the ugly sisters back in 2018 and they were very funny.

Courtney Jackson and his pumpkins

The auditorium was full of families and large groups of beavers and cubs (including my children!) and there was a real buzz in the air as the lights dimmed and the panto began.

The show was full of high energy singing and dancing, and plenty of jokes that sailed right over the children's heads! The set design was vibrant and each scene moved flawlessly into the next. The carriage scene was absolutely magical and children will gasp in wonder! The costumes were fantastic, and a special nod must go to the Ugly Sisters who had quite the wardrobe and wig collection!

Ugly Sisters and Cinderella

Cinderella's cast were all so talented and leading lady Lucia-Jade Barker had great chemistry with Prince Charming. Buttons, played by Lee Redwood (who also writes and directs the panto) was a joy to watch. From his hilarious DVD gag, to his emotional solo (which the kids loved!), he had the audience rooting for him from the start.

I love the bits in the panto that go wrong, although you're never quite sure whether the calamity is actually meant to be happening or not! One such moment involved a sock, an ugly sister and a wig and we were in absolute stitches. My kids said this part was the highlight for them!

This is our 5th Wimborne panto that we have seen and my son Elliot said this was the best yet. We had a fantastic night and left feeling full of cheer. Thank you for having us!

You can catch Cinderella the Tivoli right up until 2nd January, so don't delay, go and book those tickets!

*Disclaimer - We were invited along to the panto in exchange for an honest review

The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly at Lighthouse Poole - Review

As a family we love going to the theatre to see family friendly shows and we are spoilt for choice in our local area. The Lighthouse Poole is our local theatre and they have a wide range of live shows including a fabulous line up of kid friendly performances. 

Over the Easter holidays, the People's Theatre Company bought their fantastic live show to Poole - The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This is a story I remember reading as a little girl and as always with these kind of shows, I was really intrigued to see how a short children's book could be turned into an hour long show! 

As we took our seats, the stage was simply set with a sofa, fridge and a simple window backdrop. The story began and we were introduced to the old lady - who was a spritely old thing! We also met an alien and a space traveller called Nambang from the planet Toefluff. 

Photo credit - PTC

As you may have guessed, the story is not quite as you expect! I won't give anything away but let's just say, the audience are very much encouraged to join in with the songs. The singing helps the old lady finish the story so we (and the aliens) can see what happens. How does she eat all those animals? Does she die?! 

Photo Credit - PTC

At just over an hour, this was the perfect amount of time to keep my little ones entertained. I think the alien story line went over their heads a little but they found it hilarious watching the animation of when the old lady eats all the animals. The audience participation was fun and very suited for the age range in the audience - even Erin (2) knew most of the songs so it was fab for her to be able to join in. 

Elliot's favourite part (and I knew it would be!) was getting to shout "PERHAPS SHE'LL DIE!!!!" at the end of every segment. He was a bit over enthusiastic at times haha! 

The icing on the cake for the children was spotting the characters in the foyer after the show - Erin's a bit funny with people dressed up but even she had her photo with the alien! 

Thank you PTC for a fun afternoon - we hope see more of your shows in the future :)

For more information and tour dates, check out the PTC website

**Disclaimer - We were provided with press tickets for the purpose of this review but our reviews are always honest!