A panto aimed at providing a first theatre experience is returning to the stage in Norwich.
The Garage’s Cinderella Rocks! is part concert, and part panto, with an emphasis on audience interaction.
The story focuses on wannabe pop princess Ella, who is looking for some roadies to help her headline this year’s royal party – and keep an eye on her sisters Adina and Lydia, who have pushed their way into her
band to upstage her.
The show features an all-female cast and the audience takes part from cushions, blocks, or seats, with plenty of fun and games to get involved in.
Looking to go straight to the top of the panto charts are actor-musicians LJ Willow as Ella,
Lucy Yates as Adina, and Celeste Collier as Lydia. Lucy and Celeste also voice Ella’s
magical mice friends Squeaker and Nibbles.
Lucy said: “As a young child I don’t think I ever saw a woman playing the drums and singing
and performing in a panto. I teach drums and, even now, most of my younger students are
boys. I think girls sometimes need more permission to be loud. Although it’s an all-female
cast, it’s not just about being women – it’s about us being diverse women.”
Celeste, who previously starred in The Garage’s Jack and The Beansprout, added:
“Representation is important. If young boys are coming in and going, ‘oh, why is a girl
playing drums? parents can be like, ‘well, why shouldn’t they?’ These discussions are
important. I think people will leave the space hopefully feeling like they can have them.”
LJ said: “From my Cinderella’s perspective, she doesn’t care about the prince. To portray a
woman like that is a lot of fun and important. I didn’t have that growing up. In panto, and a lot
of mainstream work, the girl pines over the boy, the boy pines over the girl. It’s nice to be on
the uptrend of things like that.”
The show was originally performed in 2021 but was cut short by Covid, and returns this year in a reworked form.
- Cinderella Rocks! runs runs from 8-29 December 2024, with relaxed performances on 13, 20, and 21 December and British Sign Language interpreted performances on 20 and 21 December. Tickets are £16.50 for adults, £11.50 for children and concessions, under ones go free.
