[AD – PR invite*]
★★
The story of Cinderella is the theme for the new play ‘Charming’, which is playing at Greenside at George Street as part of this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Centring on Prince Charming years after his first encounter with the Princess, we learn that their marriage isn’t working and if the Prince doesn’t change now, Cinderella will be requesting a divorce. However, she never features on stage and instead it involves the Fairy Godmother petitioning the Prince on her behalf. The Prince becomes frustrated by the demands and with no context surrounding their life for the past number of years, the storyline is perplexing.
Thoughts on the concept
It is refreshing to see the script focus on an older Prince Charming, years after the ball and the glass slipper being left behind, but beyond this, it has very few redeeming qualities. It is described as a comedy, but so many of the lines fall flat and instead it becomes this odd adaptation of the fairy tale which is set in the future.
Contrasting costumes
The Prince is in traditional costume and the Fairy Godmother is wearing a mishmash of modern clothes, which are similar to the bright coloured accessories some of us wore to school discos when we were young. The contrast is puzzling and when the Fairy Godmother commented on the Prince not wearing modern clothes, I couldn’t help but think, when is this supposed to be set? The difference between the costumes makes the play even more visually confusing. The Evil Stepmother also interrupts the pair on stage towards the end and her formal ensemble, akin to something in ‘Mary Poppins’, doesn’t help the situation either.
Overall thoughts
If it weren’t for some intriguing lines about the many different interpretations of ‘Cinderella’ and a fun reference to the film adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s version, I would have struggled to get past the lack of humour. Unfortunately ‘Charming’ wasn’t for me, but you can catch the show at the Forest Theatre at Greenside @ George Street until 23rd August (not 10th, 17th and 18th). Performances start daily at 17:20 and tickets are available via the festival’s website.
*My ticket for ‘Charming’ was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
Comments