The Helix, Dublin

The art of pantomime is all in the telling. If the familiar journey towards the happy ending needs no summary, the creativity lies in finding room for individuality within the stereotypes and squeezing contemporary reference into the storyline. TheatreWorX’s exuberant production of

Cinderella

succeeds entirely in reinventing the fairytale for another year.

“No recession here!” ugly sisters Concepta and Consumpta holler as they strut onto the stage, all hair and high heels and hips swinging wildly. Indeed, the very form of the pantomime seems to be recession-proof; with its large casts, multi-locational settings, and extravagant costumes, the popular and populist Christmas entertainment provides a bit of welcome respite from contemporary woes.

Musical director David Hayes plumbs the archive of well-known musicals and pop songs, including hits from The Script, Girls Aloud, and (I have been reliably informed by my eight-year-old companion) Hannah Montana. Accompanied by a lone keyboard – full of pre-recorded synthesised surprises – the score suffers from sounding a bit over-produced, but this is just what performers have to put up with sometimes (just ask Britney Spears, as the ugly sisters say).

Carol-Anne Ryan is an instantly appealing heroine, honey-sweet in temperament and singing voice, while Eoin Cannon is a charming Prince. However, director Karl Harpur cuts the saccharine with some satire with audience favourites Consumpta (Paul Purcell) and Concepta (Aidan Mannion). Lurid in luminous fabrics and extravagant hair, posing like pop stars in their own reality TV series, they are grotesque, vile villains, yet they are almost lovable. They are greeted with cheers rather than boos as they swagger out for the curtain call.

You’d be wrong if you thought this was all child’s play. In fact, adults outnumbered children at this performance by at least 2-1, with several hen parties and an Active Retirement group in attendance, alongside birthday boys and girls. And the adults were having just as much fun, perhaps more, than the under-12s, with Thierry “thief of happy endings” Henry and an extended sequence of farting jokes providing raucous, spontaneous applause.

TheatreworX is new to the panto scene: this is only its second outing. However, the company's Cinderellawill easily compete with old favourites. Until January 17