Cinderella

15/10/21 stalls L70

This is the show I have been looking forward to the longest!

This is the show that broke my heart because I had to miss it's opening weekend.

From the announcement of the workshop for Cinderella in April 2019, I kept my fingers crossed that Carrie Hope Fletcher would also be offered the part of Cinderella, and it happened.! Her first principal role in a new musical, and by Andrew Lloyd Webber no less, and the opportunity to be on the original cast recording. It all sounded pretty great!

And then Covid happened and my tickets had to be postponed a lot, like really, really, really a lot. I also missed out on the opening weekend because of travel restrictions. So when I finally made my way to the Gillian Lynne theatre in London, 15 October 2021, I couldn't believe my luck.

It certainly is a very entertaining night out, but does it takes us to a “ball”?

Is it important for girls to be strong, powerful and independant? Yes, it is. Is it Ok to be different, in size, style of dresscode? Yes it is. Is it Ok to say no to the whole beauty industry? Yes it is. Did girls and woman get objectified in the past, and is it Ok now do the same with boys and men? No, sorry it isn't... And yes, I am now talking about the half naked hunks on stage. So Emerald Fennell, who wrote the story and the book, totally reinvented the whole Cinderella story, into something new and unexpected. I can't say I'm in love with the result, even though I get the idea behind it. Girls nowadays just don't have to wait for prince charming to come along, but they can explore the world the way they want to!

The cast, they are simply all amazing, and perfectly cast in their roles, what a group of powerful voices! Carrie Hope Fletcher is a perfect Cinderella, she just puts so much soul and emotion in her performances. Every song sounds very recognisable as a Andrew Lloyd Webber song, and he remains my favorite composer. The ballads of this show are so dreamy, with my favorite 'I know I have a heart' on top, that song lingered in my head for so long, Carrie's voice, that dress, that lighting... just perfect! Ivano Turco's 'Only you, lonely you' was fragile and beautiful. There sure are a lot of songs that are on my playlist and will remain there, because I just love them. The ball itself, after the interval, wow, such fun! I wished I could join them waltzing the night away. But I will stop talking about that -spoilers-

The costumes are all glitzy and glamorous, beauty has a price and you can certainly see it in the costumes and the 'OMG' shoes!

But, will this show be a long running West End show? I don't think so... and the problem for me is the book. I am not into the storyline. It is like there are too much 'important actual themes' woven into the storyline, that it simply covers up the story too much.

I would love to go see this show multiple times, but to be fair, only to see Carrie Hope Fletcher perform, not so much for the show itself. I still give this show 4 stars!