• theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  • theatre
  • features
  • faqs
  • contact
  Art Murmurs - Wellington Reviews

Reviews

Soho Cinders

29/1/2022

Comments

 

Jenny Nimon

Picture
Wellington Footlights’ production of Soho Cinders is colourful and comical, and it’s great to see a show with such a big cast at times like these. According to the programme, the show was postponed from November last year due to COVID-19, after their rehearsal period was interrupted by lockdown. It’s a shame that the show has to go ahead at reduced capacity due to the recent move into the Red setting, but the performers don’t seem all that fazed and bring plenty of joy and energy to the stage despite the bare seating block.

For me, this show is a mixed bag, and that is mainly due to my dislike of the script. Soho Cinders, for a show that brands itself as a modern, gay retelling of the Cinderella story and was written as recently as 2008, is less than progressive. One song in particular, “It’s Hard to Tell”, which complains about how difficult it is to tell if someone is gay or straight “these days”, does not feel like it belongs on a Wellington stage only metres away from the rainbow crossing. It is downright offensive, implying that gay men should have to present as effeminate so they are easier to identify in the dating scene. The show also uses blatant misogyny and sexual harassment as a casual sideplot to make an existing villain less likeable, and some of his lines just make me actively uncomfortable as an audience member. I question the decision to stage this musical when there are so many other incredible ones to choose from.

Despite this, Wellington Footlights makes the best of the show, and it’s clear that the performers are all having fun on stage. Aoife Walsh and Aimée Sullivan give stand-out performances as Velcro and the Narrator, and Michael Stebbings as James Prince takes the prize for his stellar vocals. Unfortunately, great lines and solos are let down throughout the show by poor sound operation, as microphones are regularly turned off or turned up far too loud and are adjusted quite obviously midway through lines. Hopefully this will improve as the season goes on. 

The band and the booth singers are a particular highlight for me and lift the show significantly with their combined talent. The costume design is strong, with the Narrator’s punk-rock costume being a definite win. I can’t say I’m wowed by the set and lighting, but they are simple and effective and let the performers hold the focus, which is nice. It also should be said that the cast and crew do well with some of the more outlandish set and prop requirements of the script, such as wheeling actual washing machines on and off stage and expertly navigating a full-size rickshaw bike.

I would also like to commend Wellington Footlights for supporting LGBTQIA+ charity InsideOUT with 10 percent of their ticket revenue. Very cool.

Soho Cinders is showing at Te Auaha in Tapere Nui until Saturday 5 February at 7:30pm. For more information or to book tickets, visit the Wellington Footlights website.

​
Comments

    Local Honest Reviews

    At Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015

    Categories

    All
    All Age Appropriate
    Art
    BATS
    Beauty Standards
    Black Comedy
    Body Positive
    Circa
    Circus
    Comedy
    Comedy Festival 2018
    Comedy Festival 2019
    Comedy Gala 2022
    Community Theatre
    Dance
    Devised
    Documentary
    Drag
    Drama
    Emerging Artist
    Exhibition
    Experimental
    Female Artists
    Feminism
    Feminist
    Festival
    For Kids
    Fringe
    Fun
    Gallery
    Gryphon Theatre
    Hannah Playhouse
    Heart + Music
    History
    Improv
    Interactive
    International
    Interview
    Ivy
    Lighting
    Local
    Mental Health
    Monologue
    Music
    Musical
    New Writing
    New Zealand
    NZ Comedy
    NZ Fringe
    NZIF
    On Tour
    Performance Poetry
    Photography
    Photospace Gallery
    Physical Theatre
    Political
    Politics
    Premiere
    Pyramid Club
    Queer
    Race
    Roxy LIVE
    Science
    Scruffy Bunny Improv Theatre
    Sexual Violence
    Shakespeare
    Site Specific
    Site-specific
    Sketch
    Solo Show
    Song
    Spoken Word
    Stagecraft
    Storytelling
    Tahi Festival
    Te Auaha
    Theatre
    Thought Provoking
    Thought-provoking
    Thriller
    Toi Poneke Gallery
    Verbatim
    Victoria University
    Violence
    Virtual Theatre
    Weekly
    Wellington
    Wellington Footlights
    Wellington Repertory