What does it mean for the evolution of an art form if its stories and modes are too tightly bound by the regiments of tradition? If a story cannot grow in the telling and slip the shackles of its origin, then how can it ever find its potential? It’s perhaps fitting that this question could be asked of Cinderella, a tale which has transcended almost all of known human history in some form or another, with every culture and people amending it to their own age and customs.
With that in mind, it’s rather apt that for the 2023 festive season, Christopher Hampson has evolved his previous staging of Cinderella into a far more modern interpretation, whilst still retaining the fundamental charms within the classic framework of the story. Instead of a fairy godmother and a scullery maid in a timeless fairy-tale kingdom, Cinders! relocates the tale quite specifically to Glasgow in what seems to be the early 19th century, where the story follows the titular young offspring of Mr & Mrs Rose, a loving couple and owners of a Drapers and Milliners Emporium, who died tragically in a fire. Thus, when the business is bought over by the rich American Thorne family, they absorb the young orphan, nicknamed “Cinders”, into their staff.
While the specificity of this new adaptation is itself interesting, the key selling point of the piece is that the parts of Cinders and the Prince, or indeed Princess as was the case, will be performed alternately by male or female performers. Indeed, the press night performance featured the male Cinders; as performed by Bruno Micchiardi as an adult, and Charles Waller as a child, with Jessica Fyfe as Princess Louisa. However, the changes don’t end there, and it’s plain to see that Hampson’s characters have deepened as the narrative has grown. Not only are the comically wicked Thorne family now each named characters, but in addition to the two wicked sisters, Morag and Flossie (soloists Grace Horler and Claire Souet), there is now also a brother, Tarquin (Aaron Venegas).
Straight off the bat, these rippling effects of change can be felt running through the production. The gender switch means that many familiar moments have had to be reimagined, reconstructed or entirely abandoned. However, if anything, this allows the narrative to flow better when the piece steps away from tradition. The early scenes of Cinders trying to organise the shop around the petulant prancing of the Thornes whilst playfully dancing with co-workers and larking around does more to sell his character and the situation than many other interpretations have managed. Equally, the reframing of the traditional Prince’s companions into a pair of brotherly Ducal cousins (Yuri Marques and Thomas Edwards) allows them to playfully gibe and tease the Princess in a manner that might not work if they were mere servants.
The increased focus on some performances does mean that others slip a little out of the limelight. The switching of the Fairy Godmother for spectral incarnations of Cinders’s parents is an interesting move, but the execution feels thin and their appearance to their orphaned son never lands with the full emotional impact it could. Similarly, Grace Paulley does admirably with what she has, dancing flawlessly and being wretchedly despicable as befits Mrs.Thorne, resplendent in villainous black and red, and scowling for all she’s worth. Yet the character simply ends up left out of much of the action as the trio of unseemly children enact their antics, both in the shop and in their various attempts to woo the Royals at the ball. That said, one of the greatest strengths of Hampson’s Cinderella is the utterly delightful chalk and cheese personalities with which he has imbued the evil sisters. Thus, to add a third spoke to that already spinning wheel allows not only a reworking of the existing comedic work, which Horler and Souet take to with aplomb, but to gild it further. Tarquin is a smart addition, allowing the male Cinders a rival suitor to the Princess’s affections and giving rise to a delightfully forward-looking payoff.
It’s also a beautifully designed ballet, with Elin Steele’s richly festive yet seasonally cold-looking sets. The incarnations of Cinders’s Emporium are each bustling with various props and clutter, contrasting with the clean opulence of the ballroom and the sombre emptiness of the Princess’s lounge room. Equally, the costumes blaze with elegance, as the designs of the Thornes flash with a noisy, garish gleam, contrasting to the clean, rose-themed garb of Cinders and the Princess. It’s never not a joy to be looking at the stage, as the magic spins from all corners of the theatre curtain’s kingdom. On the musical front, little needs adding about the ever-reliable Scottish Ballet Orchestra, conducted on press night by the more than capable baton of Wolfgang Heinz, sending Prokofiev’s notes soaring throughout the performance.
But it would be remiss not to observe that there are some areas where the whole doesn’t quite meet the match of brilliance. Tweaking and adjusting a piece like this can bring beauty and revelation from parts, but in doing so can also highlight where something is missing. By adding so much to Cinders and the Thornes, it only reveals that the Princess is somewhat of an empty character. While Fyfe conducts her with a regal decorum and a definite technical finesse, Princess Louisa comes across as a mostly blank slate that, aside from a few moments of sombre longing and the playful larking with the Dukes, seems less of a person than an ideal. It’s a lack that does echo the traditional problem with the character in general, but in a ballet that takes risks and feels so strong elsewhere, a clearer personality or some further adaptation could have balanced out the romance of the piece just that little bit more.
Small quibbles aside, this is a wonderfully current and yet festively comfortable retelling of this time-honoured story. Hampson and the entire company have woven a joyous wintery incantation here that steps outside the usual sweeps and darting feet that can be found in most festive ballets. By the time the final curtain falls, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the theatre won’t be grinning with delight and a tearful eye. What’s more, there is always the added blessing that you can come back to see the turnabout and fall in love with Cinders! all over again.