Glass Slippers and Silver Bullets

★★☆☆☆      Misses mark

PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms (Venue 171): Thurs 18 – Sun 28 Aug 2022
Review by Yvonne Paterson

Erstwhile Media’s spooky pantomime spoof, Glass Slippers and Silver Bullets, returns as part of PBH’S free fringe at CC Blooms for the final week of theFringe

Cinderella’s Fairy God-mother has been absent for almost 20 years and has returned to help Cinderella escape her life of misery. However things do not go to plan and a botched spell sees Cinderella transformed into a werewolf just before she makes her way to the Royal ball.

Glass Slippers and Silver Bullets poster design

Whilst the idea of this fairy tale gone wrong is a good one and sounds like it should work, unfortunately it doesn’t. The production feels chaotic, even under the guise of a pantomime.

Oliver Giggins’s script feels dated and the comedy falls flat. Jokes such as “Is that a knife in your pocket: or are just pleased to see me.” And “I’ll ride you like I’d ride any vegetable” comes across as crude and is awkward as opposed to funny.

Giggins direction is questionable as it feels like this production is unsure as to who its target audience is. It advertises itself as a show for ages 5+ but offers a storyline that is complex and hard to follow, seeing Cinderella contemplating murdering her sister, attempted stabbings with vegetables, a drunk ugly sister, knives and guns being waved around and a talking cardboard pumpkin with complicated dialogue.

disadvantage

With the production attempting to be both a family show and a blue panto it puts the cast of Cinderella (Skye Morrison) The Prince (Sandy Jack) The fairy God-mother (Angela Legg) Step sister Boris (Kerryl Erskine) and The Gardner (Robert Litwin) at a disadvantage. No matter how much of an energetic performance they give it makes it extremely difficult for them to engage the audience.

The idea behind Glass Slippers and Silver Bullets seemed to be a good one. However, by being so uncertain as to who its target audience is, it completely misses the mark and fails to make an impression.

Running time: One hour (no interval)
PBH’s Free Fringe @ CC Blooms, 23-24 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA (Venue 171)
Thursday 18 – Sunday 28 August 2022
Daily: 15:00
Tickets and details: See here.

NB: This is part of the PBH Free Fringe. Tickets are issued on a first-come-first-served basis at the venue. Entry is free; Exit by voluntary donation.

ENDS