Cinderella

Student is to opera as pale is to Essex, unheard of. For many of us, hearing the word ‘opera’ conjures up the image of a large woman dressed in silk, belting out the types of notes in Italian that we can’t even reach from the comfort of our own bathrooms. Opera Warwick has never been easily accessible or that enticing to those who haven’t grown up in a musical environment or come from a background where the more sophisticated arts are appreciated.

Rossini’s Cinderella was an unconventional, contemporary production produced by Alice Ford and directed by Arthur Jones, that completely broke the mould, restyled it (probably using V05 gel) and created a new type of student opera that I can only hope all others will begin to imitate.

Excited about witnessing my favourite fairytale being infused with elements of TOWIE, it was with high hopes I took my seat amongst the anxious production team on opening night.

What would happen if Cinderella lived in the same neighbourhood as Amy Childs, would mopping floors and sweeping chimneys be replaced with extreme tanning and frantic social networking? According to script translators David Levesely and Arthur Jones, yes it would, and there’d be a hell of a lot of audience interaction, sexual innuendo and cringe-worthy puns to accompany it.

Cinderella has all the qualities you would expect from a modernised fairytale. A step-father addicted to Foxy Bingo hoping to exploit his daughters in return for a life of fortune and fame. Two step-sisters that would give Katie Price and Stacey Solomon a run for their fake tan and a Prince in the form of a Premiership Footballer, looking for true love outside of the Sugar Hut. Cinderella herself (when she’s not being mocked for wearing knee-length dresses and opting for the natural look) makes a direct comparison between herself and Harry Potter. What more could you want from a night out to the local theatre?

The plot is not a complex or thought-provoking piece of life-changing drama but it is a highly amusing, innovative and successful transformation of a familiar fairy-tale. Through the use of the FairyGok Wan-esque character and his decision to make a reality TV show centering around Cinderella the performance cleverly becomes a play within a play and allows Cinderella to capture what matters most to the youth today, showcasing the emphasis we put on swagger, banter, fame, twitter and appearance, whilst always remaining comical and light-hearted.

The story unfolds through the pages of a magazine conveyed by an impressive set that mirrors the glossy celebrity publications read by most. It switches between Cinderella’s home where we see the ugly step-sisters bedroom fully furnished with – you’ve guessed it – a tanning-bed, a bed-frame decorated with to-die-for shoes, and, somehow, the hottest club in the whole of Essex, The Sugar Hut (this club) has a pole and a wall of shame…Evolve smoking area, anyone?

With all operas, music is key and Cinderella did not disappoint. The script may have been extremely tongue-in-cheek, but with such a talented orchestra (conducted by Benjamin Hamilton), nothing took away from the beautiful music that characterises opera.

What truly separates Cinderella from all the other productions I’ve seen at the Arts Centre is the way social media was incorporated throughout the show. In a world where we live-tweet everything it was absolutely genius (and albeit a sigh of relief) to be allocated designated tweeting times where the audience could share with the world just what the thought of #cinders. The tweeting screen also doubled as a Glossy-ary to provide accurate definitions of some of the Essex slang used by the characters in the show. Examples of this included ‘Sambucca – Jaeger on crack’ and Jeremy Kyle being described as the ‘Primark version of Trisha’ hashtag LOL.

Even through the interval, Cinderella maintained its title of Glam-Opera, as audience members with front row seats were able to experience the full use of the Sugar Hut pole. Normally, overtly sexual scenes seem somewhat crude and distasteful but it seemed apt in this show. I would even say that the sister with the ‘healthy complexion’ engaging in coitus with Danny D is the funniest thing to be seen this side of Warwick.

In all, the script was witty, representative of widespread culture and had the audience in stitches on countless occasions. Cinderella has truly made opera accessible to all and gets rid of the negative stereotypes that surround the art form (There was even a song about the joys of Nando’s… if that doesn’t appeal to all mankind I have no idea what will!) It is no surprise the show has been revived for later on this year and I for one recommend all those who have yet to see it to get tickets before the clock strikes midnight.

_Cinderella will return due to popular demand in April, so keep those eyes pedled._