Review: St Cuthbert's Operatic and Dramatic Society stages 2026 production of 'Cinderella'

Cinderella is the ultimate story of boy meets girl, and this week she is appearing at St. Cuthbert’s Church theatre in Burnley.

This Rodger’s and Hammerstein version was broadcast in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, before opening on Broadway in 2013. From the moment the overture begins, it oozes Rodgers and Hammerstein finesse. The beautiful melodies prepare the audience for the arrival of the Fairy Godmother, played by Heather Nicholas. Heather’s experience and stage presence were perfect for this iconic role and I particularly enjoyed her rendition of the final song, ‘There’s Music In You.’

The lighting, by Paddy Keane and his team, was perfect throughout and added to the ethereal feel, particularly during the opening scene. The title role of Cinderella was ably played by Amy Bell, in what has been her first lead role.

There can be no bigger place to start than this classic Princess! Her dashing Prince, played by Paul Cross, drew the audience in with his tuneful singing and I really believed he was falling in love with the mysterious girl at the ball. Prince Christopher is challenged by his parents, King Maximilian and Queen Constantina, played respectively by Andy Bell and Rachel Barrowclough, to give one last ball in the hope that he will meet a girl and get married.

Determined to marry off one of her daughters, Julie Cummings plays Cinderella’s stepmother. Julie had gravitas and was obviously comfortable on stage as she bullied and overlooked poor Cinderella in favour of her own daughters. Grace (Fiona Monk) and Joy (Marina Murray) were the perfect stepsisters and a brilliant comedy duo. Their performance of the stepsisters lament was the scene of the night for me. The girls, who are real life sisters, both have lovely voices and bounced off each other, owning the stage and relishing the audience’s laughter.

Another standout performance for me was Yasaiah Naeem who took on the role of Lionel the Royal Steward. This was Yasaiah’s first time on stage and I was very impressed with his fine singing voice. His confidence seemed to grow as the show went on and I believe SCOADS have discovered real potential in him.

The chorus was much smaller than I have seen in previous years, but they really gave it their all. Rodgers and Hammerstein famously don’t make their music easy, and this was no exception. There were times that the harmonies blended beautifully, notably the end of ‘Ten Minutes Ago’ and the finale reprise of ‘There’s Music In You.’ The stars of the show had to be the young chorus, who played Cinderella’s animal friends and featured heavily in Act One. It was lovely to see young performers thoroughly enjoying being on stage. It is safe to say the society will flourish for years to come with the talent coming through.

Congratulations must go to Lesley Riley for directing this huge show, with support from musical directors Mick Dawson and Paul Cross and choreographer, Tori Grayson.

What I love about SCOADS is the sense of team. Every person involved just oozes passion for the society and it is a testimony to the hard work put in by them all that audiences come back year after year. I am very grateful to Lesley for inviting me back to review what will be my fourth musical for SCOADS. It is always a pleasure to be greeted so warmly and to share in the magic of live amateur theatre. It should never be taken for granted.

* The show runs on Friday at 7-15pm and there is a Saturday matinee starting at 2-30pm. The venue is St Cuthbert’s Church in Burnley, which is cash only, with tickets available on the door.

Laura Kay