Verwood Pantomime Society’s production of Cinderella by Joshua Clarke & Lewis Clarke is simply outstanding.

Every department of this super show is of an exceptionally high standard and the audience I was part of appeared to lap up every moment. The most was made of the script and the plot fizzed along with great pace and a huge dollop of enthusiasm.

I have to pick out a few points which really stood out. Firstly, and, maybe this is an unusual starting point, but the sound was as good as it gets’ I could hear every single word – clear as a bell. The balance between the excellent three-piece band and the vocals was also spot-on, which is not always the case.

A very large cast is costumed with imagination and fun – the steampunk Fairy was particularly effective – the sheer work undertaken here deserved a round of applause of its own.

Concentration and commitment from all the cast is vital in the overall effect of a show and this was present from every member of the cast – from the very youngest up, there were no weak links.

The main characters were very strongly cast – with the funniest (and most grotesque (in a good way) Ugly Sisters I have seen in a long time. Sets, lighting, props all played their part and were all first-rate. It’s simply brilliant.

Verwood Pantomime Society patently have high standards – they display them here in spades. Impressed? I am. Very!

This review was written by Paul Smith, owner of the Cinderella licence from Smiths Scripts. Tickets are available to book now via this link. Only a handful left for Friday and Saturday whilst tickets for Wednesday and Thursday are available at the moment.