REVIEW: Cinderella: A Fairytale (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh)

Cinderella: A Fairytale - ★★★★☆ - Enchanting 

Royal Lyceum Edinburgh
28 Nov – 3 Jan
Review by Rebecca Mahar
 
Kicking off the festive season at the Lyceum, Cinderella: A Fairytale brings charm, wonder, and heartfelt joy to the stage in an adaptation of the classic story that is sure to please young and old alike.

Olivia Hemmati as Ella with members of the company of Cinderella: A Fairytale. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

On the surface, the story is the same as the one well-known and loved: Ella’s mother dies when she is very young, she grows up close to her widowed father, who then marries a woman with two children of her own. When her father dies and Ella is left under the guardianship of her stepmother, the latter quickly becomes wicked, forcing her to work inside the house and cater to her step-siblings, earning the derisive nickname Cinderella. But everything changes when Ella find a way to attend The Ball at The Palace, dancing with someone she doesn’t know is the prince, and leaving behind a single shoe, his only clue to tracking her down.
 
Written by Sally Cookson, Adam Peck, and the Original Company from the 2011 Tobacco Factor production, Cinderella: A Fairytale embraces the traditional story while taking full ownership of it, putting in plenty of its own quirks, twists, and turns along the way. Jemima Levick directs the Lyceum’s production with warmth and vigour, leaning into comedy without allowing it to become farcical, and foregrounding the emotional relationships which power the story. Grief, love, hope, and fun all have an equal place in this Cinderella. 

Olivia Hemmati as Ella and Richard Conlon as Father. Pic: Michaela Bodlovic.

While the pacing begins a little slowly, it quickly picks up steam. The only real weakness to the production is that it seems not to be certain how much of a panto it wants to be: there are built-in moments of audience interaction that bend that direction, but without the full integration of traditional pantomime bits. There are places where the audience, thinking perhaps this is a panto, want to boo/hiss/cheer/yell out clues to the actors, when the script and staging do not allow for them, leading to the necessity of the actors powering through. On press night, in a silent moment after Mother’s awkward and overbearing attempt to seduce the Prince, a child in the Grand Circle wondered aloud, “what show are we watching again?” leading to general hilarity during what was otherwise a fairly solemn moment.
 
This genre confusion aside, Cinderella: A Fairytale is an excellent adaptation of a beloved story. Olivia Hemmati shines as Ella, navigating the complex emotions of a young woman in Ella’s situation in a manner both genuine and accessible to younger members of the audience. Richard Conlon as Father is a perfect match for Hemmati: strong and soft and playful, Conlon fills the stage every time he appears, even after Father has become a guiding spirit.

Matthew Forbes as Brother, Olivia Hemmati as Ella, Christina Gordon as Sister and Nicole Cooper as Mother. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

On the nasty side, Nicole Cooper’s Mother is a villain paramount. The most cartoonish character of the lot, she stays just on this side of completely absurd (maybe putting a toe over now and then) while still managing to be genuinely menacing and horrible to all the children. Brother and Sister are played by the dynamic duo of Matthew Forbes and Christina Gordon, each rising gloriously to the occasion of their spoiled rotten roles with exceptional physical comedy. 
 
The royals are naïve and delightful. Carly Anderson’s Queen is a bright, cocktail-sipping mummy who wants her son to be happy, even if her motherly wisdom tends to arrive in the form of quips such as “be yourself, everyone else is taken!” As the Prince, Sam Stopford is sweet, genuine, and exactly the opposite of what Ella expected a prince to be. Skilfully spinning the plates of charming and awkward, Stopford is perfectly cast as the bird-loving Prince.

Olivia Hemmati as Ella and Sam Stopford as Prince. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

Birds are a major element of the world of this Cinderella, appearing in the form of exotic and colourful puppets, directed by Matthew Forbes and made by Simon Auton. Puppeteered by Conlon and other members of the cast throughout the production, birds populate Ella’s world and bridge the gap between her former life with her father, and her new life to come. Francis O’Connor’s design threads the imagery of birds throughout an intricate festoon of brooms and ladders, creating a vibrant and dynamic visual sphere as the play moves through its various locations. This is complemented by lighting design from Emma Jones that brings just the right amount of sparkle and magic, fully catapulting Cinderella: A Fairytale into a world that is more than real.
 
You’ve probably seen Cinderella before, but never quite like this. For laughter, joy, and maybe even a tear or two, Cinderella: A Fairytale is an enchanting evening of festive cheer for the whole family.

Cinderella: A Fairytale. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.

Running time: Two hours with one interval
Venue: Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, 
28 November 2025 – 3 January 2026
Times:
7pm: 28 & 29 Nov; 6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30 Dec; 2 & 3 Jan
6pm: 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14-18, 21, 28, Dec
2pm: 6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 31 Dec; 2 & 3 Jan
1pm: 7, 14, 21, 28 Dec
Access performance:
Captioned (11 Dec 6pm, 28 Dec 1pm)
Relaxed (17 Dec 6pm, 3 Jan 2pm)
BSL Interpreted (20 Dec 7pm, 27 Dec 2PM)
Audio Described & Touch Tour (21 Dec 1pm, 30 Dec 7pm)
Tickets: https://lyceum.org.uk/events/cinderella-a-fairytale