"Cinderella" Derby Theatre Production.

Derby Theatre.

This is a new version of the classic Cinderella fairytale and written by Annie Siddons. The story has been retold in a very modern way with Gab's, sorry Cinderella's step sisters ordering luxury items online. One sister could have been transferred from "Made In Chelsea" or "The Only Way Is Essex"; the other a pink-haired goth whose ideal partner would own a castle and love ravens. The Step-mother rarely gets out of bed with Gab being at her, and her daughter's beck and call.

Joseph, Gab's father and his new wife, Adelaide are living out in the wilds and to make more money, Joseph decides to move from making clocks to working on the railway, and it's that move that creates connections that brings the story to life. Throw in a giant badger in the place of a Fairy Godmother and instead of a Prince Charming, the son of a railway mogul. This also calls for some topical comments that have been subtly snuck in.

There's also a lovely, very modern twist at the end which results in more than just one wedding ceremony, and a very happy ending for all.

Aine O'Neill-Mason is our Cinderella. I loved that Cinderella has a Derby accent which immediately localises the story. This is Aine's professional debut, but I've seen Aine before in local theatre, so I know what a great voice she has. For me there was a hint of Marti Webb in her vocals, so if you can imagine the musical theatre sound of Ms Webb singing folky Celtic style songs, then this will give you an idea of Aine's voice. There's a very clever method of Cinderella getting her dress for the party, as well as it being taken from her at midnight on the night of the party.

Shelley Atkinson plays Adelaide, Moritasgus and the Vicar. Three very different roles, Adelaide being the Stepmother, Moritasgus being the giant badger, and the Vicar being, well the archetypal Irish Vicar. There are some lovely opportunities for comedy with two of the three roles and the third really creates an impression on the audience.

Roxana Bartle plays Lavinia, Esme and Pearl. Again three very different roles. Lavinia is the incredibly spoilt Stepsister who likes her comfort and flashy clobber with the posh accent. She is determined to get her man by any way possible. Pearl is a completely different role who has a pet raven!! A talented cello player becomes obvious from the start.

Charlotte Rutherfoord plays Ottile. This character is also a slight departure from the original vision of the other Stepsister. Black lipstick and eyeliner, shocking pink hair and the absolute goth who has a penchant to administer pain.

That's not the only difference because towards the end, she sees a friend in Gab - short for Gabriella - and has a personality U Turn, almost becoming the hero of the play. Great vocals, a beautiful fiddle player and an incredible personality. We were talking in the car on the way back home about our favourite characters in "Cinderella" and Ottile was a firm favourite.

Jonathan Markwood plays Sir Thaddeus Obadiah Maddox and John. Sir Thaddeus Obadiah Maddox is the owner of an impressive home and is the railway mogul, possibly, millionaire. He's obsessed with marrying off his son, and it doesn't matter to which of the sisters. Another fun role to watch.

Purvi Parmar plays Dorcus and Igor. Dorcus is the woman who has been nursemaid to Micah since his birth and is also the woman who Micah trusts to help him find his bride.

Jason Yeboa plays Micah. There's that lovely love/hate relationship that Micah and Cinderella have, but you just know that these feelings are a cover, from Cinderella's side, and Micah's attraction is the real thing. You get to hear Jason's lovely rich, but soft vocals on several of the original music pieces throughout.

Nicholas Shaw plays Matthew and Joseph. The choice to allocate opposite characters to the same actor, as with most of these actors, is a wonderful decision because you get to see the range of the actors' talents. Matthew is a bit of a soft nasty, Joseph loves his daughter and does everything he can to bring money into the home to try and keep his greedy Stepchildren and his lazy wife happy. A happy ending for Joseph but not one that I had expected.

The music is played live on stage by the actors. The original music is composed by SuRie and has a really nice Celtic sound, something, again, I had not expected to be the soundtrack of this Christmas story. Would love for the soundtrack to be commercially available, especially the five way "Where Are You" which blended five brilliant sets of voices.

There's also a Community Cast of six young actors. Throughout the run there are three teams of youngsters: the other two teams I am sure will be just as talented as the team that were on stage on Tuesday night.

If you love puppetry in performance there's that as well. The puppets are made and directed by John Barber. The cat, called Eagle, is manipulated so well, it looks and acts so real. You'll also love the puppet badger with the injured leg, as this also introduces another alternative to the standard Cinderella storyline.

Directed by Bryn Holding, I don't think there is anything more that Bryn could have done to make this an even more enjoyable piece of theatre. It is so different and so well performed, it's practically a perfect Christmas family show.

Choreographed by Patsy Browne-Hope, there's some lovely comedy dance moves, especially with Micah and the Stepsisters and Adelaide.

The Musical Director is Jack Quarton. As I have previously stated, several of the actors play their instruments on stage, as well as just off in the wings. It's a beautiful sound, and not expected for this story but adds to the whole different feel of this story. Folk and Ireland comes to Derby in this chilled soundtrack.

Sound Design is by Hannah Griffiths. You heard every single note and lyric sung with crystal clarity.

Lighting Design is by Rachel Cleary.

The set and the costumes are designed by Kevin Jenkins. From the moment that I stepped into the auditorium, that staging just hits you. The circular section that rose up at the back of this section encompassed the kitchen area of Cinderella's home, complete with the fireplace, where Cinderella got her nickname, dubbed by her Stepsisters, after she was ejected from their bedroom. Fir trees, decorated with lights brought the Christmas feel about the set and an impressive Maddox mansion dropped into place when required. Plus, that giant timepiece!

The costumes were equally impressive but unlike any panto version of the story, were not over the top. Just wait until you see Moritasgus though, you'll love the look and the way that it's operated.

This is so different to any other version of "Cinderella" that you'll remember this production for a very long time. It really is a family production and I saw older audience members and youngsters completely enthralled by this story as they were leaving the theatre, as was I.

Go see a panto but come and see this production as well because you'll feel just as festive.

"Cinderella" is at Derby Theatre until Sunday 31 December.