As I walked into the Hackney Empire for my second pantomime of the season, Christmas music blaring in the background, I was in the mood for some festive cheer - and Cinderella more than delivered on that front.
The Empire is impressively large for an independent venue, but still feels intimate and bustling, with theatre-goers moving between the bar and their seats in a consistent, cheerful stream. From young families to groups of friends in their seventies returning for their annual panto night, the pre-show atmosphere was buzzy and vibrant.
When the lights eventually dipped and Siobhan James - this year’s Cinderella - took the stage. I spoke to James earlier in the season and knew this theatre is special to her, with the Hackney Wick native having first performed here at the age of four.
From the opening number, you could feel how at home she felt, drawing us all in as she made her entrance and leaving the children in the audience wide-eyed in awe.
This production of Cinderella has a twist - it takes place in an enchanted, wintry Hackney, complete with an evil stepmother reimagined as a social climber on the hunt for wealth. Alexandra Waite-Roberts (Oblivia) clearly relished the boos, delivering some of the show’s strongest moments. Her cabaret number was a particular highlight thanks to her powerful voice.
Oblivia’s two daughters - Flatula and Nausea - were the show’s comedic powerhouse, shunning bashful glances across ballrooms in favour of swiping left and right in search of their prince. Their candy-coloured wigs and constantly changing costumes were a spectacle in themselves. These two provided the panto archetypes audience members would have expected, repeating songs, overmilking jokes, and making cheeky asides.
I can’t forget to mention the fairy godmother, engulfed in a puff of smoke and adding that touch of magic that made the audience gasp.
The first act culminated in Cinderella rushing to the ball, complete with a dramatic costume transformation, a skateboarding prince, and even an avocado toast gag - and yet there was a beauty to it, too. You’ll have to see it for yourself to truly appreciate the mastery that went into the show’s first half.
From Die with a Smile to Boogie Wonderland, the second half mixed original songs with guaranteed crowd pleasers. The entire cast shone here, filling the stage with movement and a kind of joyful chaos which felt distinctly Hackney. The crystal slipper drove the story home.
By the end of the show, in typical panto fashion, the crowd was on its feet - first to dance with the cast, then again moments later for a standing ovation, before everyone boogied out into the night.
Cinderella is on at Hackney Empire until 31 December.
