CINDERELLA the Pantomime at Portobello Town Hall
“You shall go to the ball!”
The Fairy Godmother of all Pantomimes is back in Porty this Christmas
A new professional pantomime production of CINDERELLA takes centre stage at the newly-refurbished Portobello Town Hall.
CINDERELLA the Pantomime promises to be an “unforgettable theatrical event filled with much-loved music, and hilarious comedy”.
Stage Door Entertainment, in partnership with Portobello Town Hall, will bring the enchanting fairytale to life to captivate audiences of all ages and people from all over Edinburgh and the Lothians. It will be “a delightful celebration of family-friendly entertainment, and maybe even create a new festive tradition”.
The professional production will showcase some incredible talent among local performers, creatives and musicians. This collaboration highlights this year’s reopening of the Town Hall which is now in full swing, and supports the delivery of a high-quality arts programme to delight audiences, involving both the local and wider community.
Cinderella has been written and directed by local creative Lewis Baird. Lewis graduated from Queen Margaret University with a BA (Hons) in Drama and Performance in 2021. During his time studying, he was the Writer / Co-Director of their production of ‘Cinderella’ at North Edinburgh Arts Centre. Since graduating, Lewis has worked with Forth Children’s Theatre directing their productions of ‘Oliver!’ and their five star Fringe 2023 production of ‘The Addams Family’. Last year, he also wrote, directed and produced their pantomime, ‘Beauty & The Beast’.
Lewis said: “I am thrilled to be joining Stage Door Entertainment as writer and director for ‘Cinderella’. This is such an exciting time for the company, and I feel honoured to be a part of Tommie and Aidan’s exciting plans for Stage Door. Bringing Pantomime back to Portobello is going to be a joyous process, bringing a new, yet very familiar, spin on the classic fairytale about the girl with a heart as pure as gold. We hope to bring hilarity, joy and magic to audiences this Christmas. Cinderella shall go to the ball in tremendous style!”
Stage Door Entertainment have announced the cast for their debut panto:
(In alphabetical order)
Nicola Alexander – Baroness Davina Hardup
Amy Campbell – Cinderella
Andrew Gardiner – Fairy Maggie
Ollie Hiemnann – Dandini
Harrison MacNeill* – Wonky
Leo MacNeill* – Stonky
Martin Mitchell – Prince Charming
Laurie Scott – Buttons
*Harrison and Leo MacNeill are two local Edinburgh brothers, which could make for an interesting feature.
Tommie Travers & Aidan O’Brien, Creative Directors of Stage Door Entertainment said: “Not only are we thrilled to be producing our first pantomime together, we also are excited to be staging it in partnership with Portobello Town Hall – a venue we’ve been eager to use for years. We know how much the community values a local production, and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it a Porty Panto to remember. To be a part of Portobello Town Hall’s new chapter is an absolute honour, and we can’t wait to see what great things we can achieve together.
- “After being closed for several years, Portobello Town Hall opened earlier in the year following a grass roots project led by local charity Portobello Central to restore the historic venue.”
- Wendy Davies, a Portobello Central trustee said: “Portobello Central SCIO is thrilled to have teamed up with Stage Door Entertainment to bring live theatre back to Portobello Town Hall. We can’t wait to have Cinderella and her dysfunctional family back in Portobello.”
This magical production of CINDERELLA promises to transport audiences to a world where dreams come true! Stage Door Entertainment offers an inclusive experience to ensure that everyone can be a part of this fantastic journey, with accessible performances – including signed and audio-described shows; and exclusive rates available for schools and groups. This rendition of the beloved tale is set to be an unforgettable experience for all who attend.
CINDERELLA
Tuesday 28 November – Saturday 30 December 2023
Portobello Town Hall
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
www.portypanto.com
0131 314 2841
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
