‘I am Ellanora and I am enough’. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto Cinderella is the perfect night out for the whole family with fun, laughter and a heartwarming message. Despite the slightly misleading ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ title, the show is filled with some of the greatest pop songs intertwined with comedic moments and a lot of audience participation.

Taking inspiration from the traditional Cinderella story, the narrative follows a young, isolated, wannabe artist, Ellanora, played by LIPA student Grace Venus, and a comic book loving prince, played by Thomas Fabian Parrish. Brought together by many matchmaking attempts, they begin to realise that all they want is to be themselves.

Star of the show from the off is the wonderful Dame Fairy Godmother (Ben Welch). Owning the stage from the very first moment, the Dame very quickly becomes an audience favourite and interacts with a special someone throughout. With their trusty sidekick Graham (Adam Keast) by their side, the Dame is ready and looking for love. An icon of their time, Welch's soundtrack of divas is definitely not to be missed.

With a packed soundtrack, it's only natural that certain performances will stand out. The introduction of the Queen (Aminita Francis) through Whitney's ‘Queen of the Night’ proves her to be an utter powerhouse, leaving that performance etched in the audience's memory following the show. In a complete tonal shift in Act Two, Venus’ rendition of Demi Lovato's ‘Skyscraper’ almost evokes tears from surrounding audience members. The addition of the light up set to resemble city blocks really adds to the entirety of the scene.

As a piece of total artwork, this show is definitely one to be congratulated. Whilst every member of the technical team could be named, director James Baker helps to bring this piece to life, despite the natural turn to chaos of a pantomime. Set and costume designer Isla Shaw brings the magic of pantomime into the Everyman Theatre, whilst the lighting and sound designs from Ryan Joseph Stafford and Ian Davies, respectively, instinctively ties all the loose ends together.

A show that is not afraid to satirise its own errors, The Rock ‘N’ Roll Panto Cinderella is a show that will have you laughing all evening. With fun for the whole family, it's definitely worth taking a trip to the Liverpool Everyman for.

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Harley Keasey

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto Cinderella plays at the Liverpool Everyman until 20 January 2024, with further information here.