"Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" by Masque Productions.

Mansfield Palace Theatre.

"Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella" is a musical originally written for television, but later performed on stage, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

The story, as I am sure every man, woman and child knows, concerns a young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters, who dreams of a better life. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a princess and finds her prince. This is not a pantomime though but a fully fledged and lush musical.

Cinderella is played by Macey Shaw. Not only is Macey taking the titular role, but she is also making her debut performance with Masque. No pressure there then, Macey? Her vocals are exceptional; I don't know if she has had classical training but she completely transfixed me with her voice and her light delivery of the beautiful Rodgers & Hammerstein songs. An engaging acting style which drew us all in.

King Maximillion is played by Simon Brickell, who I remember from playing Ted Bovis in Masque's production of "Hi De Hi" earlier this year. Great character-driven performance and nice to hear Simon's vocals, which are so well matched by Justine Wells, who takes her first principal role, playing Queen Constantina. In a parallel universe I could really imagine Simon and Justine as a royal couple because their chemistry was so believable. Great pairing and a wonderful set of duets.

The Step Mother is played by Kelly Marsh. Now everyone loves a nasty character and this one oozed nastiness in the way that she treated her step daughter, constantly reminding her that her father was dead and how "lucky" she was to be looked after so well by her and her step sisters. There are some lovely comedy moments to balance the evilness.

Cinderella's Step Sisters, Grace and Joy, are played by Brooke Spedding and Holly Stevenson, respectively, neither character reflected by their names either. Another lovely comedy pairing, and especially with Joy's comedy laughter. Who doesn't love a good snorting laugh? Deliciously mean towards Cinderella, but both Brooke and Holly have been blessed with lovely vocals.

The Fairy Godmother is played by Alison Carter. As the first character we see, the Fairy Godmother sets out the story of Cinderella, as well as the main scene of transformation, plus at The Ball drip feeding The Prince with information about his mystery guest. I love the attitude this fairy Godmother has, bringing a modern feel to this classic character.

The Prince is played by Jake Shirley, who also makes his debut for Masque. Whether Jake intended to sound a little bit like Prince Harry in his line delivery, I don't know, but he has a very regal sound about him. The way he presented himself also created that royal stance. For me though, Jake's voice topped off this triple threat. Controlled and powerful with a sound of his own. From head to toe, he looked and sounded like a Prince.

Lionel, The Prince's Steward, is played by James Hallam. I remember reviewing James playing Irwin in "The History Boys" at Nottingham's Lace Market Theatre about six years ago. He also had a minor role in Masque's earlier production from this year, "Hi De Hi". James delivers a lovely cool comedy performance here, including a piece delivered to the audience as he is walking off stage regarding the pumpkin and the glass slipper, hinting that he is "in the know", if you know what I mean. If not, come see the show!

As you'd expect with a show like this, a large ensemble is going to be needed, and they are, and let's start with the ladies.....

Paige Allen, Caitlin Brennan, Liz Brennan, Lisa Bottomore, Ann-Marie Connolly, Maxine Dillon, Jade Eaton, Tineke Fleet, Amy Gunter, Lauren Herbert, Sarah Herbert, Rosanna Hill, Jan Hodgetts, Rachel Fletcher, Jane McBride, Heidi Benson-Laydall, Paula McCrary, Karen Richards, Chrissie Smyth, Kay Thomason-Vardy and Hannah Winterton.

The male ensemble are Brian Brooks, Ryan Kyte, Martin Morgan, Connor Moore, Garry Richardson, Stephen Ratcliffe, Adrian Toon and Ryan Adlington.

The children's ensemble are Oliver Brennan, Ciara Carter, Adelphie Fleet, Mia Hill and Olivia Vardy. These lot are as cute as buttons and they all presented very mature and professional performances, especially I noted with the choreographed sections.

Directed and Produced by Andrew Wolden, this production really whets your appetite for the upcoming Christmas season. It gives you that feel for Christmas while maintaining that wonderful classic musical quality. It oozes class and whips along at a real pace; I couldn't believe how soon the closing of this beautiful show came around.

The Costumes are gorgeous and gave that feel of a big West End production, as did the sets, props, including a marvellous two horse drawn carriage for Cinderella that will leave your jaw on the floor. The visual backdrops and three dimensional sets made the Palace Theatre stage seem even bigger than I remembered it, completely filling every dimension of the stage.

Elizabeth Wolden is the Performance Track Technician.

Musical Director is Roger Holland who brought to life these luscious arrangements of Rodgers and Hammerstein's music. You could hear echoes of many of their big musical hits in these songs, which in themselves are simply beautiful. Pieces like "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful", "Ten Minutes Ago", "The Cinderella Waltz" and "In My Own Little Corner" are like having honey poured down your throat, lush and sweet. there are plenty of other uptempo and fun pieces to balance the ballads out as well.

The soundtrack also gives choreographer Lynn Roberts plenty of scope. I love the classic choreography in this musical with some lovely footwork and turned out hand and arm extensions.

This isn't a musical that is performed very regularly, and that's a shame because the music is simply lush, with its' layered arrangements and classic musical feel. The vocals from all were spot on, and this light operatic sound really suits this company. Everything about this show is class personified and it's a shame that the theatre was not packed out as this is one run up to the festive season show that will make you feel seasonal without being over the top Christmassy. It'll make you want a cup of mulled wine.

"Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" is at Mansfield Palace Theatre until Saturday 11 November, so get your tickets and have a ball.