Cinderella – a classy, well-pitched pantomime in a new venue (Brassneck at Devenish Complex until Thursday 21 December)

Cinderella at the Devenish Complex in Finaghy is the Belfast pantomime that’s on everyone’s lips. The hotel ballroom may not be a typical venue for theatre, but Neil Keery’s writing (his debut panto script), the careful tone, and the energy of the cast deliver a great evening of family entertainment right in the heart of a local community.

Over-worked and under-appreciated, Cinderella is the genius – with the help of Buttons and some indispensable filters – behind her sisters’ social media success. Meanwhile, the popular Handsome Prince across town is popular online but lonely in real life, or “IRL” as the cool kids would say. A competition to create a new dance for his big ball might reward someone with a proposal from the prince … though maybe not the type of proposal you’re expecting. And when the fairy’s magic wears off at midnight, has Cinderella’s chance to escape the drudgery been cancelled forever?

The ‘overture’ music at the start of the first act has the under 18s doing dance moves in their seats while the oldies don’t recognise the tunes. In a year or two, social media-infested scripts may wear thin. But at the moment, it’s still a great way of playing into adult confusion and youngster’s media of choice.

The bickering, bumbagged Karens (pushy Orla Graham and facially expressive Vicky Allen) are melters. Fairy Up Liquid (Neil Keery) is mouthy but never uncouth and has a great snack pouch in her wig. Buttons (Conor Cupples) is loyal and full of irrepressible bounce and optimism. The Handsome Prince (Simon Sweeney) has royal marbles in his mouth – “Yaaaaaaaaah”, “Sublime!” – and throws great shapes with his upper body as he speaks. And Cinderella (Philippa O’Hara) has an angelic voice – So Happy is a great duet with the Prince – along with the best moves on the stage (sorry Fairy Up!) and builds up a good rapport with the audience as her journey out of servitude to stardom evolves.

There’s quite an art to a good pantomime. Careful judgement is needed to pitch the humour and the language at a level that tickles the grown-ups and still passes over the heads of the youngest, most impressionable audience members. (The older kids can quietly enjoy the fact they get the jokes they know they’re not allowed to repeat in polite company.) A good dame also requires skill to banter with the audience and ad lib without going too far. Brassneck’s Cinderella walks this tightrope with confidence and finesse.

Throw in lots some rapid on-stage costume changes, a routine that makes the actors corpse (who wouldn’t want to be frozen in time while eating a sausage roll?!), sparkly costumes, a wee bit of politics, lots of crowd-pleasing local references and slaggin’ Lisburn, super-soakers, and bubbles … every dame should insist on having a bubble gun.

Take a bow Brassneck Theatre Company, director Tony Devlin and the cast, composer and music maestro Katie Richardson, set designer Cathan Roberts, choreographer Cheryl O’Dwyer, video supremo Fergus Wachala-Kelly and stage manager Marjolaine Demaude. The budget may have been relatively low, but the ambition was high and the show certainly delivers.

Only four performances remain in the run, but extra seats have been added so you might just catch a show at the bedtime-friendly 7pm from Monday 18 through to Thursday 21 December. Tickets £8 (child)/£12 (adult).

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