Cinderella

"The real me won't die"

Date - December 2025

Venue - Corbett Theatre, Loughton

Director - Tracy Collier

The classic pantomime by Stuart Paterson, performed for the local children of Loughton, and the wider community at large. What a joy it has been. It has been one of the most fun shows I’ve ever worked on. Part of it is the writing - it’s very, very pacey. The actor never stops working, even when they’re offstage, and as soon as they’re on, the play invites them to grab it by the scruff and the more they do, the more fun they have. This certainly holds true for me. Joke after joke, two hours pass by in a blur, and 10 costume changes later, I find myself at curtain call thinking “that just happened”.

As if two roles and multiple blazing quick changes weren’t enough, I found myself cast in a third role - the role of the puppet dog, The Black Douglas. This was my first time ever puppeteering for the theatre, and what a privilege it has been to work with not only our company, but with the brilliant puppet that was built for us by our wonderful creative team. It was a responsibility and a challenge that could only be solved by diving headfirst into it, and I hope I did it justice. I certainly had no shortage of support from my company, all of whom I thank deeply.

Cinderella has been a show of pure joy and mirth, but also of learning. From my first stint as a fight captain to my first relaxed performance, it’s not often you get to embrace this amount of happiness and chaos as part of your learning journey. I will miss it now that it’s passed. Thank you, to everyone who came and saw us. Thank you to our local schools who brought their young students in to see us, and to the care home residents who stopped by and were so supportive. And thank you to the brilliant company that made this show possible. It has been a joy and a privilege. 

Photo Gallery 

Photos courtesy of Andrew H. Williams