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Sunday 19 December 2021

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella - A Brilliant Musical!

Image Credit: https://andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com

{This is a collaborative post}

Back in October my husband and I took the girls up to London to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella and straight off, I'll tell you, we all loved it! It truly is the most brilliant show, but I suppose you'd expect that as I've never seen a bad show written by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was also a bonus that we were able to use a Theatre Tokens gift card I had been given for my birthday in the summer. 

This musical comedy show is loosely based on the story that we all know but don't be fooled into thinking this is a panto or anything like Disney's version of Cinderella. This one is much more adult in content and it has quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. I think it was so clever the way that Emerald Fennell recrafted the story; there are still all the poignant moments of the original show that we know - the mean stepmother, the glass slippers, the Fairy Godmother, the clock sticking midnight and the handsome prince, but there are also clever twists and a deeper tale. 

Andrew Lloyd Webber describes David Zippel's lyrics as "hugely witty" and he is so right. There were many bits in the songs where I looked at my husband with wide eyes and smiled! The witty and racy lyrics were just perfect to engage my teenage daughters that had come with us, but I wouldn't advocate the show for children under about the age of 12, as they just won't get some of what is going on. There were a number of occasions when children sat close to us were heard asking their parents what was going on, or why people were laughing. Here is the official trailer, to give you a little taste.

      

               

The show opens with us being introduced to Belleville, the most beautiful fairytale town there ever was, but it isn't all sweetness and roses in Belleville. Oh no, the job of being perfect and beautiful is taken very seriously and is a back-breaking full-time job. The only person letting the town down is Cinderella who very much has her own style and refuses to become an identikit beauty. 

Cinderella is desperate to leave and finds solace with her friend Prince Sebastian, but then things start to change when the sex-god Prince Charming disappears and Sebastian has to step into his incredibly large britches and get ready to become King. His mother, the Queen is devasted when Belleville has a PR disaster and she decides the answer to save the town is a Royal wedding. This means Sebastian needs to choose a bride, something he doesn't want to do. Then throughout the process, both Sebastian and Cinderella start to release there is more than friendship to their relationship and upon meeting the Fairy Godmother Cinderella wonders if she needs a nip and a tuck to become more like all the other beauties of the town.

I won't tell you any more, as it's great to see the show for yourself and find out the ending, but needless to say, it was superb and there is a very neat twist that most people are not expecting in the second half.

Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton

One of the things I really loved was the theme of being yourself, being unique and not following the crowd. Cinderella really is a wonderful example of girl power and believing that we can all achieve our dreams and happiness without compromising our values. This certainly spoke loudly to my twin girls and was just what they needed to hear, as school is proving pretty tough with some of these areas at the moment. 

The other thing that really caught the attention of my girls was the soundtrack. The songs in this musical are superb and so catchy. We have been listening to many of them time and time again, singing our hearts out, especially to Bad Cinderella. Just take a look at some of the lyrics in the song, they are really powerful -

I am me, Cinderella
I've a style all my own
And I will not change it for you
Wild and free Cinderella
You can laugh, you can groan
If you think I won't ignore you
I think "poor you"
They call me a wretch, a witch, well, choose one
Every fairytale, for sure, can use one
Sorry I'm so rude
Sorry you're so lame
I won't play your game
Call me bad Cinderella
I take pride when you sneer
I am proud that I'm not like you
Ironclad Cinderella
I face life with no fear
And a more than sky high IQ

It's probably not politically correct to say it nowadays but there are lots of very handsome half-naked men in the cast and plenty of beautiful women but they do seem to remain more dressed, which makes a nice change to most things in life. I know some people took exception to this though. 

Photo Credit: Tristram Kenton

The casting is fantastic and I don't think there was anyone who disappointed in the show we watched. My favourites were Carrie Hope-Fletcher playing Cinderella, Rebecca Trehearn as the Queen and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother, who projects a really clever character voice. The scene with the Queen and the Stepmother is probably my favourite one and they sing the duet "I know you" which is so engaging and clever.

I'd definitely advocate a trip to see Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne theatre near London's Covent Garden. It is a brilliant theatre and I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. All the chairs are comfy with good leg room and it is probably my favourite theatre in London from a practicality point of view. Easy to use toilets, large and airy lobby for interval drinks and a grat auditorium.

Things are a little tricky at the moment with the covid situation, so I'd suggest that you invest in a Theatre Tokens gift card as a Christmas gift for someone you know would love this show and then they can book for a time that is convenient to them. There are plenty of fun designs of Theatre Tokens and they can be easily purchased online and emailed to your recipient or you can print it and present it as a gift. I have theatre tokens as they do not have an expiry date, you can buy them from as little as £5 and they are accepted in 260 UK venues, both in London's West End and in the best local venues across the UK.

Do check out Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella, it really is truly fabulous! You can also listen to many of the tracks on the official YouTube channel, or look on Facebook at their page


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Review of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne theatre, London. An amazing show!


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14 comments:

  1. I cannot remember that I have ever been to a musical. I guess that I still have a lot to learn as so many friends are talking about theathers, operas and musicals and I really lack the so called general knowledge within the field. I would probably join the kids with asking about what is actually happening. :)

    Well, back to the musical in question. It really sounds like a well-thought-through take of a classical story. :)

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    1. Oh wow, you'll have to give a musical a try and see what you think.

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  2. Oh wow this looks so magical! I can't wait to go back to the theatre one day, but due to covid we've not been in such a long time. They need our support more than ever, so we must book to see a play or musical soon :)

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    1. It was all starting to get so well establihsed again and then this horrible new strain causing chaos again!

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  3. I have heard a lot about this show, Cinderella is one of my favourite so would love to see this show I do love a musical

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    1. The songs are so catchy. I can't wait to see it again in the future.

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  4. Ah! I would love to see this! Andrew Lloyd Webber has such brilliant musicals, and his pieces are so memorable. This looks great!

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  5. Oh wow! The costumes look amazing! It sounds and looks incredible, exactly what you would expect from Andrew Lloyd Webber! I haven't been to see a show in so long, but this sounds like a great excuse to head down to London! Sim x

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  6. Sometimes the soundtrack on these shows can be pretty amazing in itself. This sounds like a great show to see. We do love Cinderella. I think it would be great to take my daughters to.

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    1. Yes, if they are older daughters it would be fab but a bit grown up otherwise!

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  7. I have seen so many adverts for Cinderella, and I do love anything Disney. So I may need to look into booking this in the new year x

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    1. This isn't the Disney one, it's very different but in my opinion, far better.

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Thanks for your comment, I will respond real soon. Mich x