REVIEW | Cinderella, Brixton House
Written by Zoe
*Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review
Once upon a time, in the heart of Brixton Lane, lived Sindi-Ella; a cool and quirky produce-growing teen dealing with her influencer-wannabe stepsister and a not-so-evil stepmum, as she tries to come to terms with the loss of her Dad. But that isn’t all she’s having to face. This isn’t your glass slipper, prince charming, pumpkin into carriage kind of Cinderella. This is a hip-hop, talking plants, AI, dance-off, Brixton Lane, kind of Cinderella, and it’s utterly brilliant.
This production oozes vivacity and vibrancy. From the moment you walk in, you’re embraced by Christmas music, sounds of a bustling Brixton market, and Amelia Jane Hankin’s impressive set; a huge, multi-level, green structure with foliage, and a ‘Brixton Lane’ sign hanging up above.
Forget the fairy godmother. Instead, Sindi-Ella, played by the incredible Yanexi Enriquez, has the singing, sprouting, spirit of her Dad, Delphy the delphinium plant. Roy Emmet Brown (Delphy) wears a giant floral headdress with flowerpots for hands and feet. A whacky and wonderful image that opens the show.
We soon meet Charmz (Alex Thomas-Smith), the CEO of Flip Flop (Tik-Tok on steroids), who is gentrifying Brixton into a new, shiny, AI wonderland. Out with the old, in with the new.
Whilst Sindi-Ella is trying to keep Ella’s Grocers afloat, and desperately wanting guests at her party, Steph (Julene Robinson) is considering selling the grocers to Flip-Flop so she and daughter Tia (Jesse Baterson) can open Boujee Barnets back in West London. But when Sindi-Ella finds this out and discover Charmz’s plans for the town, things start to go awry!
It is the Music and lyrics, composed by the talented Duramaney Kamara and written by Danusia Samal, that elevates this show. The snippets of songs are upbeat, slick and super-modern. The small, but mighty cast, perform these perfectly. Robinson’s vocals are strong and Smith’s and Enriquez’s voices blend beautifully. There seriously needs to be a Spotify playlist.
The second half was certainly more emotive. We see Sindi-Ella plant Delphy in the flower patch where her mother’s ashes are scattered so that her Mum and Dad (in the form of Delphy) can be together once more. A particularly tender moment is when snow starts to fall on Sindi-Ella as she wraps her arms around her beloved plant. Sindi-Ella has been keeping this Delphinium cutting alive, so that she feels she’s keeping her Dad alive somehow.
Samal’s writing is sharp, funny and imaginative. The storyline is far from the traditional narrative of Cinderella, b ut in thesocial media-infused era we are living in, this version is much more relevant.
There’s a humanistic approach to character types in this production; there isn’t a clear hero or villain. Instead, we see the good and bad in all of them and the complexity of human relationships. Sindi-Ella and Charmz’ relationship goes from friends to enemies to friends again (or possibly more).Sindi-Ella is not the innocent heroine, we may expect, as she takes revenge on step mum Steph and sells her designer attire for a mere £1.20. Baterson’s character, Tia, is torn between bullying and protecting her stepsister and we see moments of sisterly love between the two.
Despite their differences, the characters join forces and come up with a ‘Christmas Compromise’ as they combine - Sindi Ella’s passion for home-grown fruit & veg, Charmz’ CEO and AI expereince, Steph’s love of beauty and Tia’s obsession with ‘influencing’. Charmz delivers one of the best quotes of the play,“If people with power listened, great things would happen”, and in this play, they really do.
Amongst the many, more predictable, pantomimes that fill London’s theatres this Christmas, this production is entirely unique. Is it a pantomime? Is it a musical? Is it a drama? Perhaps it’s a combination of all three.
Under Ola Ince’s fantastic direction, this Brixton house production is fun, fresh, and filled with energy. It’s exactly what you need this time of year!
Cinderella runs until 31st December at Brixton House Theatre, Brixton.
