Manchester's pantomime with balls!
A modern day twist to the classic fairytale Cinderella, filled with comedy, audience participation and good old festive cheer. With feel good party anthems It's Raining Men, Like A Virgin, Amarillo, Tim Of My Life and Dancing Queen. This hilarious pantomime is sure to kick start your Christmas with a bang!
A bawdy homage to the panto classic, this show stars Kat (Big Brother) as the fairy godmother and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase - "he's behind you!" Also staring The Hilarious
Miss Thunderpussy as Sinderfella
and Gaydio Radios
Nicksy
(Winner of Pink Papers Reader Awards 2011)
as Buttons.
Full cast to be Announced.
Warning - This is an adult pantomime and is not suitable for children, the faint hearted or persons of a prudish nature!
Please Note:
Due due to unforseen circumstances Alice Barry has been replaced by Kat from
Big Brother as Fairy Gone Wong.
The Hilarious Miss Thunderpussy as Sinderfella
Big Brother's Kat as Fairy Gone Wong
Nicksy as Buttons
Julia Taylor's Review in What's On Stage
Pantos traditionally use drag but in SG Productions' adult version, Sinderfella, Cinders is a fella, too.
International drag artist Miss Thunderpussy (Scott Houston) knows what she's about not just in Canal Street but at the Dance House where she plays Cinderella. She's a master of drag dominating the stage in quirky dresses, designed by Norma Bonnell and, the appropriately named, Mary Mcquirk.
There are too many 'f' words in the piece but I laugh my socks off at the dirty remarks. "He's behind you" takes on a whole new meaning. And two new phrases have been introduced in Whatsonstage.com's honour. One is "Write it down, Julia" and, in the case of risqué jokes "Don't write it down, Julia!"
The plot is simple, like the family versions and serves as a vessel in which to carry the jokes. When Cinderella doesn't turn up, her Fairy God Mother played by Big Brother housemate, Kathreya Kasisopa arranges for Miss Thunderpussy to be her.
Neither bosom-high Buttons (Simon Nicks) nor Prince Charming (re-named Prince Donkey Dick) (Matthew Greenwood) realise Cinders' a drag queen and ooze ironic sentimentality. Buttons and Ugly Sisters Gaga and Rhianna ensure hearty audience participation throughout. For some unknown reason, Director/Writer and TV presenter, Simon Gross, appears unexpectedly and charismatically as big-boobed, busy body Gaga amply aided by Dale Vickers as Rhianna.
Everyone belts out suggestive songs such as "Like a Virgin" and "Dancing Queen." The charity, Gay Men Fighting Aids, benefits from the raffle of some naughty underpants and we benefit from the raunchy, tacky fun.
A recent interview with the cast in Village Magazine
This panto season there's no longer a need to feel like you have to have a child in tow – in fact, quite the opposite.
When Sinderfella opens at the Dancehouse it's a strictly adults-only affair.
And not because of any X-ratedness – more that there's a bit of swearing and it offers the chance for "grown-ups to act like kids for the night".
"It's all a bit of fun. It's Christmas – were just out for a laugh!" says the Fairy Godmother, aka Shameless's Alice Barry.
We can predict that with Alice around, that's pretty much a given.
The cast includes radio presenter Nicksy as Buttons and the fantastically named Miss Thunderpussy as Sinderfella. It opens on December 15, and so the cast are busy learning their scripts…"My biggest fear is forgetting my lines," said Nicksy. "But the good thing about my character is there's lots of audience participation so more chance to adlib.
To remember the script – and this is a technique used by Bill Tarmey, Jack Duckworth on Coronation Street – you record your part on a dictaphone and you record the other part in a different voice. So Bill would do his bit and then record Vera in a different voice – I'd love to hear that tape!" For someone who's acting experience is limited to a few on-walk parts aged 10 in the 1980s kids' TV programme Supergran, he's taking it all in his stride. "At first I thought – pantomime? And all I could imagine was Les Dennis in Extras. But then I thought: if Louis Spence can do it…! And there's normally a radio presenter who can't act in pantos, so I'm sure I'm in good company."
The story goes that the actress scheduled to play Cinderella for the night hasn't turned up, so it's left to the Fairy Godmother to conjure up a
plan. Loitering around the auditorium is Miss Thunderpussy, who has always dreamed of playing Cinderella.
A spell is cast and hilarity ensues as Sinderfella ensnares both her Prince Charming and Buttons – neither of whom realise she's a drag queen.
"Poor Buttons fancies Cinderella but he never gets to have her because the handsome prince is, well, handsome," added Nicksy. "He's got this longing desire which never ends up happening – story of my life."
Why take on a panto when his schedule is filled with radio shows, including the drive-time slot at Gaydio, and running Essential in the village on Fridays and Saturdays? " I thought it would be quite good fun, a bit of a laugh – and of course I'm single so I've got nothing else to occupy me at Christmas." It's this self-deprecating humour from the cast that is likely to make the show work so well.
Ugly sister Dale Vicker said: "I think
we'll have as much fun performing it as hopefully the audience will have each night. I just hope the make-up department has enough make-up to
make me ugly!" Alice Barry is juggling the rehearsals around her Shameless schedule. She plays madam Lillian Tyler in the TV programme and is currently filming her ninth series – as well a running a 'theatrical' BnB in Blackpool. "We've got a lot of panto stars staying with us over Christmas: two of the dwarves in the panto in Blackpool, and Warren Donnelly, the policeman off Shameless," said Alice. "We've always got stars coming in and out." Sounds like a mad house. In a good way. "You don't have to be an actor to stay there though – we take anybody, within
reason," she added. "I think I'm going to take a bit of a holiday when it's all finished…"
Sinderfella arrives in Manchester after selling out London's Leicester Square Theatre in 2009, and it looks like being a hit for office parties, and generally anyone game for a laugh. "You've got to have a sense of humour," added Alice. "And don't come if you're easily offended." We've been warned… |
