Cinderella performed by Chichester Festival Youth Theatre: REVIEW - a triumph for the youth theatre and its entire cast

There is an unwritten rule in the world of reviewers. If you are watching the young or amateurs you should show a little kindness in anything your subsequently pen.

Such a requirement has never been necessary in the case of Chichester Festival Youth Theatre. It is one of the most respected and renowned. While it is true that some shows will be better than others I cannot recall a time when it did not deliver a terrific piece of entertainment.

But this year’s Cinderella is dazzling.

The Youth Theatre – and indeed CFT itself with only rare and distinguished exceptions like Mother Goose with Sir Ian McKellen – does not do panto. But is does rejoice in fresh, new musical adaptations of tales that form the bedrock of the Walt Disney cannon and fairy tale folklore.

There is always a temptation with youth productions to level them down to the age of the cast. CFYT has never fallen into that trap. To all intense and purposes this is an adult performance which just happens to feature performers of younger years.

Consequently, this production has a wonderful maturity, substance and style which sweeps you up in its story-telling no matter how familiar some of the themes.

And much of the original is retained.

We have motherless Cinderella, the horrible stepmother, her two ghastly step-sisters, the King hosting a ball at the Palace so his son the Prince might meet his future bride.

There is even the lost slipper and the search to see whose foot it fits.

But the ball is over three nights, not one. The fairy godmother is the spirit of Cinder’s mother. The birds of the forest befriend her.

This production also has the confidence to deliver slapstick humour without reverting to full panto throttle. This is perfectly exemplified by the stepmother’s rather gory attempts to make her two daughters oversized feet slip into the shoe.

This is a Prince quite unlike anything Disney created. He has a social conscience and a sense of self-worth. Cinderella perfectly combines self-reserve with feisty determination too.

These are gorgeous performances matched only by the contrasting devilry of the stepmother and her two offspring.

It is always tough to single out individual credits when everyone delivers to such a high standard.

The bird puppeteers are marvellous.

The music is memorable and really adds value.

Some cast members appear on rota. On the press night we had simply terrific performances from Annalise Bradbury (Cinderella), Maya Sewrey (Young Cinderella), Dominic Lacey (the Prince), Tilly Groves (Stepmother), Scarlette Guilfoyle and Daisy Chapman (the stepsisters) and Devon Sandell as the Parakeet.

The set was simple but effective and the costumes and staging helped lift the production to new heights.

How proud we can all be of our wonderful Chichester Festival Youth Theatre. This is a cracker of a play that relies on quality not gimmicks. Tickets will be in high demand.