From Rags to Riches: Cinderella's Next Adventure in Dubai
Well, she does find a happily ever after and is still wearing glass slippers, not Birkenstocks (thanks for that!). We found her in a performing space near us.
The memo was clear: We must draw more people (and their children) to the theatres. Now, how does one do that? Take a fairytale, a classic, please. Cinderella works! Add that to the blender with a dash of humor (ouch, be careful what you wish for this Christmas!), a scoop of music (songs loved across my generations, Teenage Dream, Bad Romance, et al.), tweak the character-type (Danni Hardup is played by Bryn Mitchell and Fanny Hardup by Glenn Atkinson; and what a phenomenal job the two men did at playing step sisters: why should girls have all the fun?) and keep a constant check on if the individuals in the audience are having as much fun (as the performers are) by making them believe that it is, in fact, them who is directing the tale to its predictable, And They Lived Happily After, end. Cinderella, performed by MTDXB Panto Productions at TODA (Theatre of Digital Art), Souk Madinat, Dubai, followed the memo to the T and delivered, yet again, what we can promise you was a spectacular show.Â
Pantomime (British) is a theatrical entertainment, mainly for children, which involves music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy. It is based on a fairy tale or nursery story, usually produced around Christmas.
The clock’s ticking (it'll not be midnight soon, but you get the drift and the pun, don’t you). We want this to reach you before the stepmother catches us (read: brunches, staycations in Dubai over a live performance). We were the early birds and saw the Saturday, November 30, afternoon show (2.30 pm). here’s what we learned about fairy tales set in 2024. They had shows over the long weekend in the UAE, and we are hopeful they will bring this show back again, soon. And they should. Take a bow, Director: Stuart Gibson; Musical Director: Adam Laird; Choreographer: Jordan Dodd; and Producers: Bethanie Mitchinson, Brian Fletcher, and James Mitchinson. And yes, you too, scriptwriter Tom Whalley!
So, once upon a time…
We all recognize an excellent production when we see one characterized by a house full (of little girls with bows and tiaras, little boys with LED light sticks, and big people willing to be children again — you should have heard them stomp their fear, scream their lungs out), whole fantastical creatures (the cast comprising MTDXB dancers: Rachel Cahill, Luciano Di Marca, Beverly Keller, Katie Keyes, Lindsey Larkin, Chloe Leather, Giselle Monkhouse, Donna Penny, Danielle Romero, Sattawat Sonsin, Shona Wills & Rayvan Chad Zealand), and a few beautiful life lessons (dance like nobody is watching, keep faith in magic and miracles and more). MTDXB had it all, and what was the best part was that they transported the blend to Dubai; where else, Habibi? Â
Plotwise, almost anything goes in a fairy tale, correct?
A fairy godmother (Kirstie Edwards, I can see the sparkle in her eyes, kudos!) landed in the Kingdom of Dubai, where, of course, lives Cinderella (Alexandra White, brilliant vocals, dance moves and acting, loved it) but because this is well, modern retelling of the tale, which has stood the test of time, enter predictable yet funny jokes about Dubai — did we hear words like RTA, Shein and more. P.S.: We can’t and don’t wish to give away all the jokes, but if we were to rate them, velcro strips, Gucci from Karama, and Friday night at JVC are just a few we are still laughing at!
The idea is to transport the viewers to the fairy tale settings,
And the crew did so with minimalistic, aesthetically appealing props. We loved the pumpkin cage! The setting in TODA, with the 360-degree colorful projections of snowflakes, clouds, palace, etc., only added to the experience, and we lived the Dubai winter this way!
Enter character troupes, categorized as the good, the bad, and the evil
Buttons (David Moore), could he get more adorable and energetic? He kept us all on our toes (with his acting skills and comic timing). And to be fair, since it was a modern retelling, we would have loved for Cinderella to find her happily ever after with him, so why not?Â
But then, even when you know the ending, you do root for the Prince Charming (Fadi Rifaai), don’t you? This time, we fell in love with him and his assistant, if we may call Dandini so (Stephen Rixon). The bad stepsisters had us cracking, while the evil stepmother, Baroness Vindicta's (Bethanie Mitchinson) classy demeanor, cool-fierce attitude, and dance moves had us grinning! Baron Hardup (Brian Fletcher) stayed calm even as he mocked the Baroness.Â
A special note on the colors
We loved the outfit's colors; just seeing them dressed in reds, pinks, yellows, and lilacs put us in a joyous, festive mood. The costumes were perfect, and we wish we could roam around on the streets dressed, so can we?
Outside the kingdom
After the show, the cast and crew walked to meet and greet the audience in the foyer, and I have to say how the many little girls and boys shook hands with them, hugged them, and more was adorable. Oh, also, did I mention that they had tiny glass slippers (plastic, actually) with candies on a table at the entrance? Did you grab one?
We walked out feeling oh-so-Christmasy, of course, singing: On the first day of Christmas, My true love gave to me, well, not a partridge in a pear tree, but a falcon in the palm tree! As they sang this one, while we felt exhausted just watching their swift movements (remember: they’d been singing, dancing, and acting for 2 hours now and still could do it!), they seemed full of energy, smiles, and enthusiasm. A review is to be ‘critical,’ so we’d once again advise the crew to be mindful of the children in the audience. We can have a good laugh with non-adult hints, can’t we? Overall, we can’t wait to see this bunch on stage next, as they deliver original performances that this city needs.
Want to know more about the show: https://www.storiesoverart.com/post/dubai-ready-to-watch-cinderalla
Want to know about what they performed earlier on:
Authored by Purva Grover
Purva Grover is an author, journalist, and creative entrepreneur. She is the founder-editor of storiesoverart.com, a sanctuary for all who find solace, inspiration, and purpose in art. In a world that often overlooks the significance of art, she stands firm in her belief that it is essential, more so than anything else.
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