A refreshingly original take on the classic tale, this is great fun for all of the family, and anyone else too!Rating
Excellent
The traditional Christmas pantomime has always been an unpredictable beast, with some extremely well-known venues putting on lazy and uninspired shows which only get bums on seats due to the inclusion of a star name. Sometimes the casting can be inspired, and Happy Days star Henry Winkler made for the best Captain Hook I’ve ever seen, but all too often a C-List celebrity sleepwalks through every performance leaving even the kids in the audience confused as to why they’re present.
Thankfully JW3‘s third Jewish pantomime, Cinderella and the Matzo Ball, avoids that problem completely by eschewing famous names, instead relying on five extremely talented professional actors who clearly have a passion for performing. This is promoted as the world’s only Jewish pantomime, and comes with occasional Yiddish phrases and references to holidays and customs, but that shouldn’t put off those from other religions or belief systems as it’s a fast-paced production that’s fun for every and anyone’s family.
It comes with the vast majority of tropes that you’d expect to see, and so there’s a healthy dose of audience participation and yelling “He’s Behind You!” at the seemingly naive characters. But it also manages to be unpredictable and surprising, and while key elements of the plot are present, it frequently uses them as a jumping-off point, with nearly all of the second half taking on a refreshingly unusual but really rather delightful direction.
Talia Pick makes for an admirably feisty Cinderella, while Talya Soames is also on fine form as a surprisingly flirtatious Buttons, and Roman Quinoiou makes for a strong seemingly sweet Prince. But best of all are Cinderella’s two sisters Milchig (Rosie Yadid) and Fleishig (Libby Liburd), the duo are hilariously daft rather than despicable, and responsible for not only the funniest gags but also a great deal of the most entertaining physical comedy.
It’s friskily staged with no overlong scenes, and careful use of the blackout curtain means it’s able to jump about from one location to the next without a break in the action. There’s a great selection of songs including parodies of the likes of Sabrina Carpenter, K Pop Demon Hunters and more familiar fare like Cabaret, plus the odd joke for the adults in the audience too, though they’re very carefully phrased so that youngsters won’t be appalled at what their parents are laughing at.
Writer Nick Cassenbaum‘s also responsible for the jet black Jewish farce Revenge: After the Levoyah (which after receiving rave reviews at the beginning of the year is currently getting another outing at the Soho Theatre) and while understandably not as dark as that play, Cinderella is almost as funny. The only reason it’s not quite is good is due to the number of groanworthy puns in the script – but then that’s to be expected from this sort of fare, and their absence would be missed.
Pantomime’s famously a very British institution, and one which often confuses visitors to these shores who haven’t witnessed it before. Yet for both longtime fans or newcomers Cinderella And The Matzo Ball contains all you could want from a comedy of any kind. The characters are lovable, the story’s inventive and original, and the humour leaps from daft puns to absurd silliness and smart one liner time and again, making this enormous fun throughout.
Written by Nick Cassenbaum
Directed by Abigail Anderson
Musical Direction by Josh Middleton
Cinderella and the Matzo Ball runs at JW3 until Sunday 4 January.
