Cinderella
Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith

SET in the contemporary Queendom of Hammersmith, against an urban background of zero-hours contracts, JD Sports gear and stage sets populated by road signs and traffic junctions, this is most certainly a panto with modern sensibilities.

When Cinderella and her stepsisters hear of an invitation to the royal ball, at first they appear most excited by the fact that the Prince’s palace “has wifi in every room” and, when they arrive, they undergo rigorous electronic security checks before entry is allowed.

Similarly, relationships are very much of the here and now in this Tinuke Craig-directed show. Cinderella proves to be a strong woman buttressing a rather uncertain prince (Gabriel Fleary) while, on the sidelines, the roots of a same-sex relationship begin to develop between Buttons (the excellent Jodie Jacobs) and Popsy, a reluctantly obnoxious stepsister (Lauren Samuels).