Peter Duncan last year boldly led the way with his streamed Pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, filmed largely in his back garden and created an entertaining film that brought joy and laughter into family homes that Christmas with an energetic and enthusiastic cast. This year he has returned with a bigger budget, location shooting and higher production values in his version of Cinderella for streamed and theatrical cinema release. Some of the comedy and spontaneity has been lost in the process but nevertheless, the result is a polished and good-looking version of this classic Pantomime story.
Written and directed by Peter Duncan a much-loved Children’s entertainer from his days on Blue Peter in the eighties and period as Chief Scout as well as directing many pantomimes on stage. More recently he was in The Dame on stage written by his daughter Katie so there was plenty of experience to draw on in creating this film version. They stick to the traditional story with Baron Hardup, two ugly stepdaughters, Buttons in love with Cinders and the standard pumpkin transformation scene and slipper trying on scene. The interiors of Hardup Hall look wonderful (set & props design by Lyndon Harrison), capturing the spirit of the stage version on sets which looked like they had painted the interior of his own London house! The arrival at the Palace in horse and carriage was given the full film treatment that could not be done on stage. Interestingly the Ballroom scene is moved to the woodlands for an outdoor festival which gives it a magical feel although makes it look more like Into the Woods or Alice in Wonderland especially with the circus acts and young ensemble dressed as cute animals.