After a run of five shows over four days, the cast of Cinderella kicked off their glass slippers and relaxed, knowing that they have made many people very happy by instilling them with the spirit of Christmas fun.
Under the direction of Ryan Flay with Assistant Director Shona Thumpston, members of Lochaber Showstoppers have spent many months in preparation for their production of the 2023 winter pantomime which also marked the 30th anniversary of the group’s first performance.
With a small gap between 2019 and 2023, Showstoppers have staged a total of 36 shows, ranging from major musicals to treading the boards with Christmas cheer in ‘Pantoland’.
Continuing to marvel at the figures, Cinderella was their third production in 2023, having staged a very much home-grown Hansel and Gretel last January, followed just a few months later by ‘The Addams Family’ all held in the Kilmallie Community Centre.
Both shows were incredibly successful and popular, with audiences growing on each
occasion to the point where a return to the Nevis Centre, with its much larger capacity
became the only option – and it certainly proved to be very necessary.
Most performances played to full houses and their matinee held on the Friday afternoon (December 15) saw more than 550 schoolchildren and teachers filling every seat for a fun-filled celebration with more than enthusiastic audience participation in true Panto’ tradition, oh yes it did!
Building on the experience gained in their intense schedule of 2023, every member of the cast gave stunning performances, entering into the particular spirit of the genre, jumping on any opportunity for a funny ad-lib within an already amusing and well written script adapted to bring in many local mentions and jokes which had the audience rolling and cheering.
Great pyrotechnics brought the magic of the Fairy Godmother to life and did on occasion make her literally vanish from sight in a huge puff of smoke, adding to the fun.
Bright costumes, well rehearsed song and dance routines on fantastic sets, together with multi-coloured lighting all came together to make a wonderful spectacle which certainly set the Christmas mood for what must have been audiences of thousands over the run.