Gillian Tan

Stratford East’s annual panto is a proper institution — beloved locally, sharp creatively, and committed to tearing up the rulebook every year. This production, directed by Eva Sampson with a new book by Leo Butler set in ancient Egypt (Cinderella in the time of Cleopatra), was no exception.

Leo Butler’s writing and Robert Hyman’s score gave it distinctive personality, and Charlotte Espiner’s design went full spectacle. The lighting design for panto is a specific craft — it has to hold the comedy timing, the audience interaction, the transformation moments, and the emotional sincerity that the best panto always has underneath the glitter. Stratford East expects all of the above and then some.