After the postponement of Joburg Theatre’s pantomime Cinderella in 2020 due the global pandemic, it was an absolute delight to see the theatre alive again with cheers and laughter.
It was my daughter’s first trip to the pantomime. I was concerned whether she would enjoy the show as a 5 year old but she proved me wrong. From the moment we arrived, Adriana was mesmerised by the stage, the costumes and the performance.
I have to commend Janice Honeyman for putting together a show that entertains both young and older audiences. We had hearty laughs with the “South Africanisms” used to the Tik Tok trending audio.
Not to overshadow the play, the high-tech LED screens on the stage allows for quicker scene changes as the stage is easily transformed into interactive settings. Without giving too much away, my daughter Adriana was amazed with Cinderella’s transformation and kept asking me if it is real. Of course it is! You will have to get your tickets to see what we are talking about.
The cast includes 2021’s Cinderella stars Desmond Dube and Ben Voss as the hilarious Ugly Sisters Fanny Flatulina and Flossie Flemerina (who had the audience laughing all the way), Bongi Mthombeni as Buttons, Kiruna-Lind Devar in the title role of Cinderella, Kyle Grant as her Prince Charming, Dolly Louw as GogoMama the Merry-Fairy Godmother, Graham Hopkins as Baron Horace Hard-Up and Yamikani Mahaka-Phiri as the prince’s sidekick Dandini.
The company also features (in alphabetical order) Tarryn Heard, Venolia Manale, Arno Meyer, Kenneth Meyer, Noni Mkhonto, Brian Ngobese, Funeka Peppeta, Kaylan Sabbadin, Musanete Sakupwanya, Jonathan Blaine Shore, Justin Swartz and Dezlenne Ulster-Weale.
The theatre took precautions to ensure the safety of their patrons. Seats were carefully allocated to guests to guarantee social distancing.
It was an evening well-spent to relax, enjoy and laugh at the masterpiece of Janice Honeyman. During that time, it was easy to forget about everything weighing me down.
It was Adriana’s first pantomime however it will not be her last, as we will make this a Christmas tradition from now on.
Book your tickets to Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella here. Ticket prices start from R290. The show runs from 5 November 2021 to 24 December 2021.
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