Over this Christmas period, NST City presents a reworking of a classical fairytale that everyone knows and loves, transforming Cinderella into Cinders’ and Ella’s story in CinderELLA. Directed by Michael Fentimen and including an intimate actor-musician cast, everything about this show feels like it will be a musical extravaganza that will infect the audience with high energy and comedic hilarity.
In this brand new show, we learn the story of Cinders, an 18-year-old isolated girl, and her friendship with a 50-year-old woman called Ella who feels the same isolated and estranged feelings after the loss of her late husband. When they visit the Midnight Ballroom they find ‘adventure, love and funny japes’ and in this we are reminded of the classical stories of transformation through a journey, physical and emotional, that we all know and love.
The cast of this show is small with only seven people forming the ensemble which could mean either a refreshingly intimate performance, or repetitive and tiresome with no fresh faces to see during the run. Playing the title roles are Valda Aviks and Lydia White who portray Ella and Cinders respectively, leaving only five other cast members to flesh out the cast of the show. With three men and four women, there is a nice balance that feels like it will balance every aspect of the narrative, but also the music that seems to line this show and is inherent in its appeal.
The trailer alone is enough to induce goosebumps, but demonstrates a new musicality that mixes folk, pop, and choral music to create a sound that makes you want to get up and move with them. CinderELLA looks incredibly exciting and in promising to be hilariously funny but also emotionally moving, there are big expectations for this reworking of a traditional and well loved fairytale.
CinderELLA is playing at NST City from 27th November until the 5th January.
Watch the trailer for the production below:
