I feared I may have ‘panto’ peaked too early this year when I went to see Cinderella at Hackney Empire at the end of November (yes, shocking, I know, but I do occasionally leave the borough). When I realised I’d be watching the same fairy tale again, at Stanley Arts, I wondered if I was going to feel jaded…

Not in the least. We attended Cinderella at Stanley Arts last Saturday, and it’s definitely not your usual telling of this popular panto classic. Beth (our 8-year-old) was slightly perturbed that there was only one ugly sister, but I found this telling of Cinderella refreshing exactly for its deviation from the usual plot. Cinders doesn’t even say yes to marrying the prince, rather ‘maybe, but I think we should get to know each other first’ – bravo! And there’s no ‘happily ever after wedding, instead a party to celebrate the opening of Cinders’ new boutique. Finally a version of Cinderella where a woman’s happiness isn’t solely down to marrying a rich man.

A day later we were back in Croydon’s panto-land, this time at Fairfield Halls for Beauty and the Beast. Starring Eastender’s Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), this panto telling has a much more classic feel, with intricate costumes and beautiful sets with a sprinkling of special effects to boot.

Both pantos employ very different styles, so are pretty tricky to compare, but for the sake of this article I’m going to give it a try…

Characters

In Cinderella there are only five actors (if we’re not including the Cherry Stars ensemble), and it’s very cleverly done, as two of those actors play five parts between them – this is used to comedic effect in the second act, when the characters need to be in the same place at the same time… particular shoutout to Emily Rose (below) who plays the wicked stepmother, the fairy godmother and Dandini. By the interval I wasn’t even aware that Dandini was also played by her, as all the characters are so different.

In Beauty and the Beast there is also quite a small core cast with seven lead actors (with a larger ensemble cast). It was great to see Charlie Guest on stage again (having seen him in previous Fairfield pantos). He plays Louis La Plonk (son of the dame), and I’d describe him as the ‘Buttons’ character. Charlie has great charisma, and always commands the audience’s attention just by being charming and amusing. He’s the panto glue. We also enjoyed the dame’s performance by Jamie Steen, who plays Polly La Plonk, the Beast’s cook. Polly is a welcome contrast to the serious Beast, who storms about his castle throughout the first act. Polly’s outfits rather steal the show – my favourite being a Croydon A to Z dress (well just because, I suppose).

Pop culture

Beth was pretty happy to hear this year’s viral earworm ‘6-7’ in both pantos (to the delight of most of the kids there and to the groans of most of the parents). Both pantos also featured Steve’s Lava chicken song (Jack Black’s song in this year’s Minecraft movie, if you’re struggling to place it!) – Cinderella has embedded a particular Croydon twist (which I won’t spoil, although you may guess from the photo below…)

Favourite scene

Our favourite scene in Cinderella was the scene with Dandini and the ugly sister, where they are declaring their love for each other. But they are declaring it over some DJ decks (of course), which is very amusingly done in snippets of different pop songs.

In Beauty and the Beast we very much enjoyed the transformation scene where the Beast becomes the prince before our eyes, with a neat special effect… (you’ll have to watch to see).

The ‘staples’

Both pantos of course have a smattering of the panto ‘staples’ – the ‘We’ll have to sing it again then, won’t we’ ghost scene appeared in both (although Cinderella’s version employed a Minecraft character). There were no cream pies thrown in Beauty and the Beast, but Cinderella did have a variant when they walked us through the wicked stepmother’s face care routine…

The comparison

If you want an intimate quirky low-fi experience, go for Cinderella, but if you’d prefer the glitz and glamour of a more classic panto go for Beauty and the Beast. Both are equally enjoyable for very different reasons, so why not squeeze in both to your festive season?

Cinderella runs until 28 December 2025 at Stanley Arts, South Norwood, Croydon. You can book tickets here.

Beauty and the Beast runs until 4 January 2026 at The Ashcroft in the Fairfield Halls, Croydon. You can book tickets here.

Cinderella photos courtesy of Stanley Arts by Josh Thaker, Beauty and the Beast photos courtesy of Fairfield Halls.

Posted by Julia (with help from Beth)