REVIEW: Cinderella at Seaton Delaval Arts Centre

Cinderella

Seaton Delaval Arts Centre

Until Saturday 6 December 2025

A fun-filled pantomime is pleasing packed houses in North Tyneside proving that satisfying pantomimes don't need to break the bank of the audience. An engaging cast and live band bring the Tom Whalley script to life.

This show also represents a big panto anniversary as the shows Director (and also appearing in the comic role as Buttons) Stu Bennett reaches his 20th year with the panto society here in Seaton Delaval.

This is a classic pantomime that believes in telling a story rather than stroking the cast's egos. Zoe Buckthorp is poor Cinderella who has been relegated to the role of maid after her Dad, the Baron Hardup (Jennifer Foulkes) marries Baroness Vindicta (Ellee Jacobson) after Cinder's mother had died. Vindicta is more interested in her own personal wealth and advancing her daughters Dannie (Chris Orchard) and Fannie (Sam Kennedy). Thus, when the Prince's servant Dandini (Zach Hardy) announces a ball for Prince Charming (Lewis Hill) in order to find a wife, Vindicta is keen that her daughters scoop the prize and Cinderella is made to stay at home in a humiliating way. Fortunately for Cinders, she has a Fairy Godmother (Katie Jackson) who can help level the field.

The show works because it sticks to the the story, whilst the cast are cracking jokes with almost every interaction, it is not at the expense of the pace of the show. We have a few songs accompanied by the live band, under musical director Gareth Miller, and a large (for the size of the stage) ensemble of dancers. The music spanned the decades, classics juxtaposed with current trending hits - with some rewritten to fit in with the story.

But here's an observation. I'm lucky in that I get to see most pantomimes in our region and I get to compare shows. Whilst the bigger shows have upped their game - so have the smaller shows. The quality of sets, costumes, lighting and sound has improved massively in the past decade. The pace of the direction and set changes in shows such as this one shows that the lessons learnt in the bigger shows is having an effect on the smaller shows and, as such, the gap is not as big as you think.

Then add the freshness of the Tom Whalley script, in which the jokes work - without offending - and keep the show local. This is the first show that we have seen this season to have a classic "take off" scene or the 12 Days of Christmas.  It is also the first show to run with the peril of bringing the kids out of the audience to assist with the community singing - Stu Bennet was able to adapt really professionally as the larger than expected group of kids added the chaos that comes from unrehearsed members of the public to create something that was charming. 

This show is fun. The cast appear to get on and are having fun - the audience likewise had a fun couple of hours too. The "ugly sisters" had fun with Owen, a good sport at the front of the audience, Buttons got to soak the audience and roam around the hall with his microphone to encourage engagement during the community singing. The Baron comes across as being on a run of bad luck, rather than a total loser (as happens in some shows). 

Cinderella is an entertaining pantomime that hits the right note and those involved in the show should be proud of what they have achieved.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

This year's show: https://seatondelavalartscentre.com/whats-on/cinderella/

Next year's show will be Mother Goose and tickets are already on sale: 

https://seatondelavalartscentre.com/whats-on/mother-goose/