Reviewed by Nikki Talbot
Friday evening, with eldest granddaughter (4) in tow, I went to my third annual pantomime at the fabulously family-friendly Regent Theatre in Hanley.
My third, my granddaughter's second - but Jonathan Wilkes’s 21st, which goes to show exactly how the good folk of Stoke love our Jonny, and you certainly get the feeling it is most definitely mutual.
Now. I know what you’re thinking. How can they do something different year after year ?
Well. Some things are too good to change! And that certainly is the communal thought of the loyal audience who go year after year to watch Jonny and his good friend,Kai Owen, thoroughly entertaining us with their obvious delight at being back together again in Stoke-on-Trent.
The tale, although famously simple - boy meets girl, boy loses girl, life and people get in the way, but it always works out well in the end - flows along nicely without delay.
The evil stepsisters were played rather marvellously well by Amanda Coutts (Hernia Hardup) and Rebecca McKinnis (Verucca Hardup) - STOP! SELFIE! UPLOAD! Who commanded the stage expertly and rightly earned the chourus of boos every time they entered the stage - how could they be so mean to poor Cinders!?
As the play begins, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer energy of this performance. The jokes start immediately and are delivered sharply and confidently by the entire cast, who are so obviously a close-knit bunch of talented actors.
There are many, many laugh-out-loud moments here, with jokes aimed at all the family, making sure kids and big kids leave the auditorium aching from laughter.
Want to be entertained? Want to laugh loudly? Want to sign & dance? Want to be leave the theatre more christmassy and oh so proud of our fabulous home town? Cinderella at the Regent Theatre is for you!
You can watch Cinderella at The Regent Theatre until Sunday January 4th 2026.
Please note: tickets for this performance were gifted in exchange for this review and coverage.
Review | Jack and the Beanstalk (Mow Cop Players)
Listen | Ross Noble Interview
Hanley Economic Building Society Extends Headline Sponsorship for Another 12 Months
Embark on a glittering adventure at Staffordshire’s Trentham Estate with their Winter Light Trail!
Honey Box Live Strikes Again at Keele’s Clock House Courtyard
