Review: Edinburgh Lyceum Christmas show 2025, Cinderella: A Fairytale
- Lisa in the theatre
- 24 hours ago
- 4 min read
Sally Cookson's Olivier award-nominated adaptation of the Cinderella fairy tale flutters into the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh this Christmas in a creative production teeming with beautiful, colourful birds. Read my review of Cinderella: A Fairytale below.
Cinderella: A Fairytale, Edinburgh Lyceum Christmas 2025 ★★★★☆
Review: 10 December 2025 | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Offering a fresh and curiously feather-filled take on the beloved Cinderella story, Jemima Levick and the team at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh have reimagined Sally Cookson's Olivier award-nominated adaptation of Cinderella: A Fairytale for the Lyceum stage this Christmas.
The story largely follows the traditional one of Cinderella: a poor girl is left at the mercy of her wicked stepmother when her father remarries. But this playful version follows a smart, modern protagonist and is teeming with beautiful, colourful birds in lieu of any mice, pumpkins or fairy godmothers.
Ella (Olivia Hemmati) and her father (Richard Conlon) share a love for birds, but when he remarries, Ella is bullied into a life of servitude by her awful stepmother (Nicole Cooper), her new brother (Matthew Forbes) and sister (Stephanie Cremona understudying a role normally played by Christina Gordon.) The woodland birds become Ella's only friends, and the woods her place of safety.
One day Ella meets a young man (Sam Stopford) in the woods who seems to share her interest in ornithology. But when he invites her to the Royal ball the next evening, Ella wonders just how does he know the queen?!
Francis O'Connor's design is breathtaking
The Lyceum's Cinderella: A Fairytale is an enchanting piece of storytelling that is very family-friendly and will surely entertain youngsters this Christmas. But it also offers enough gentle comedy and visual interest to charm the adults. It's a lovely, calming alternative to a pantomime for which Jo Beale's original songs provide a pleasing, albeit pre-recorded, score.
Jemima Levick's production is a snappy piece of theatre, running at just under two hours including an interval. The story is perfectly judged to flow from scene to scene with plenty of time to admire the storytelling but never out-staying its welcome. I was surrounded by thoroughly transfixed children. That's not an easy feat at this, nor at any time of the year.
For in the stunning surrounding of the Lyceum's spectacular auditorium, Francis O'Connor's design is breathtaking. Full of wonderful, colourful bird puppets that swoop and soar across a stage adorned with branches made out of brooms and mops, it's as beautiful a staging as I've seen at the Lyceum and really opens the space to make full use of the height and depth of the stage.
Cinderella's ballgown is the single underwhelming design element in the show. It looks rushed and unfinished compared to the striking and careful delivery of the other costumes and sets. On the other hand, her glittery high-top trainers are an inspired modern choice for such a key prop piece, and the perfect footwear for a spirited, modern-day princess.
Adults will need to suspend their disbelief for a lot of this Cinderella story for the birds act as a deus ex machina on a number of occasions; but no more so than a Disney Fairy Godmother does! This does lend itself to some impressive moments of theatrical magic when the birds wave their magic feathers, and it's lovely to be carried away by the fantastical nature of it all. This is a fairytale afterall.
The small cast of eight are excellent with Olivia Hemmati leading the show as a bright and determined Ella who's every bit the captivating and kindly princess of our hearts. Matthew Forbes (who also doubles as the puppetry director) is a standout with his flamboyant and energetic 'Brother' who, along with Stephanie Cremona's equally as engaging 'Sister' provide most of the laughs, but do well to bring a depth to the commonly caricatured characters helping us to understand that they too are victims of their circumstance.
When the cast aren't playing their main roles, they skillfully operate all of the bird puppets that are so key to this production's sense of wonder and success. Cinderella: A Fairytale is a light-hearted and joyous festive production where the healing power of nature and the enduring love between a father and daughter will warm even the coldest of hearts in the cold winter months. Beautifully done. ★★★★☆
Cinderella: A Fairytale plays at the Edinburgh Lyceum until Sat 3 January 2026.
MORE: the best pantos & Christmas shows to see in Glasgow and the surrounding areas this Christmas https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/post/glasgow-christmas-panto-2025
MORE: Find more Scottish panto & Christmas show reviews at: https://www.lisainthetheatre.com/panto
Cinderella: A Fairytale cast - Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh
Ella | Olivia Hemmati
Prince | Sam Stopford
Mother | Nicole Cooper
Sister | Christina Gordon
Brother | Matthew Forbes
Father | Richard Conlon
Queen | Carly Anderson
Ensemble / US | Stephanie Cremona
Ensemble / US | Leo Shak
