Cinderella was announced as Warrington’s panto in 2024, and excitement built ahead of its opening performance.
Starring Stockton Heath’s own Christopher Pym as Prince Charming and, returning due to popular demand, Daniel Dean as Buttons.
“Panto is just a joyous thing to do,” said Daniel.
“When you’re doing panto comedy that cheeky chappy, that kid in me is always there. I still feel like that five or six-year-old boy at the panto myself.
“When I get into a Buttons outfit, I feel like that child again. What a great thing to be able to do and bring that magic of pantomime and that wonderful people to young children.”
Daniel Dean has returned to Parr Hall again this year to play Buttons (Image: Dave Gillespie)
Charlotte Buxton as Cinderella and Christopher Pym as Prince Charming (Image: Dave Gillespie) Daniel said performing in panto’s allows him to feel like a kid again (Image: Dave Gillespie)
Also taking to the stage is star of ITV’s The Chase, Anne Hegerty, who has swapped her stern onscreen persona as The Governess to play the Fairy Godmother.
The 66-year-old is no stranger to pantos though, as she’s taken to the stage as she has enjoyed playing ‘the baddie’ in other shows.
Speaking to the Warrington Guardian previously, Anne expressed that she’s looking forward to not being booed.
“It’s quite nice playing the goody,” she said.
“I always feel when I go down for the finale and they’re booing, I’m like ‘what? A, I was good and B, they’ve probably done the magic spell so I’m nice now – so you know, stop it.’
“Of course they may still boo, in which case it was because I was just a bit rubbish.”
Anne Hegerty as the Fairy Godmother (Image: Dave Gillespie) Cinderella saw great success over the weekend, as almost all performances sold out (Image: Dave Gillespie) Anne has enjoyed the chance to finally play a goody on stage (Image: Dave Gillespie)
The pantomime opened at Parr Hall on January 3, and had multiple sold out performances across the weekend.
Comments made by audience members show that Anne’s fear of being booed has not become a reality, as the show has proved to be a hit.
“We’re absolutely delighted and overwhelmed by the response to Cinderella in our opening weekend, with full houses on Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” a spokesperson for Culture Warrington said.
“Families have been saying how much they love the cast and have been starstruck by TV’s Anne Hegarty, who plays Cinders’ Fairy Godmother.
Christopher, who is from Stockton Heath, hasn’t performed at Parr Hall since the age of 11 (Image: Dave Gillespie) Cinderella will run until Sunday, January 12 (Image: Dave Gillespie) The classic panto has had an ‘overwhelmingly’ positive response from audiences (Image: Dave Gillespie)
“We’d like to thank all our audiences for what is already another bumper year, and the show must go on until January 12 for anyone who’s yet to ‘go to the ball’.”
Cinderella will close on Sunday, January 12 and tickets are still available for the remaining performances.
Tickets can be purchased on the Parr Hall website or by calling the box office on 442345.