Cinderella 2: After the Ball A joyful, inventive panto triumph for KATS
Cinderella 2: After the Ball A joyful, inventive panto triumph for KATS
Kennet Amateur Theatrical Society’s latest production, Cinderella 2: After the Ball, wrapped up its run at Kennet School Theatre last weekend, and it turned into one of those really feel good community theatre evenings.
This isn’t just another retelling of a familiar fairy tale. Written in house and clearly very personal to the society, the show picks up where the traditional Cinderella story ends and asks what happens after happily ever after. The answer is a fast paced, laugh out loud adventure filled with wicked witches, the Big Bad Wolf, magical mishaps and plenty of proper pantomime chaos.
There was a wonderfully daft, Benny Hill style chase sequence that had the audience in stitches and summed up the playful tone of the production. The musical numbers were delivered with real commitment, and the choreography brought energy and colour to the stage.
The witches were a definite highlight. Gloriously evil and clearly loving every second, they managed to be genuinely menacing while still leaning fully into the fun. They looked fantastic and brought just the right level of drama to balance the comedy.
One of the standout moments was the invisibility scene. It was knowingly silly and cleverly staged, with the mechanics very much part of the joke. And then there was the horse. Absolutely brilliant. Full of personality, beautifully timed and completely committed, the horse quickly became a firm favourite and deserved every laugh it got.
What stood out most was how much work had clearly gone into it. You could see the time and effort behind the scenes, and that care really showed on stage. It was also particularly encouraging to see that this run included KATS’ first ever relaxed performance. Making theatre more accessible and welcoming to those who might find traditional performances challenging is a big step, and it is something the society should be genuinely proud of.
All in all, Cinderella 2: After the Ball was a fun, inventive and thoroughly enjoyable evening.
