Cinderella: Get to know Andrew Lloyd Webber's fairy tale musical
The classic tale - but not as you know it!
Last updated 5th May 2022
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals have drawn inspiration from all sorts of places, from biblical tales to masked phantoms, from political scandals to Jack Black films. Now in his latest musical he's taken on a classic fairytale - but with a modern twist.
Here we'll dive into all you need to know about Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella which has Carrie Hope Fletcher in the titular role, including the show's stellar cast, how to see the show and much much more!
Cinderella: The classic tale
Now just a quick re-cap of the classic tale, Cinderella is stuck working as a maid for her cruel stepmother and step-sisters. When the Prince is on the lookout for a partner he invites every maiden in the land to a ball.
Hoping to get her own daughters in the mix with royalty, Cinderella's stepmother tries to prevent Cinderella from attending the ball by ripping up her invite and ripping up her dress. Then comes the fairy godmother who fixes up a carriage, a new dress and some glass slippers.
It's love at first sight for Cinderella and the prince, but with the magic set to run out at the stroke of midnight she had to leg it back home leaving a single glass slipper. The prince then goes out to find Cinderella by finding the woman who's foot fits the shoe. Fortunately for Cinderella she apparently has a very unique foot size and the two live happily ever after.
What is Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella about?
This version of the story is a whole new take on the classic fairytale, set in the magical fairytale land of Belleville, Cinderella is trapped in a world that she doesn't fit in. Emerald Fennell who wrote the musical's book says Cinderella finds the fairytale world "just as exhausting as any of us would if we lived in a fairytale".
Everyone on the team seems to be staying very tight-lipped about the full plot of this fresh new take but you can watch Emerald and Andrew discuss some of the details here:
Cinderella: Meet the cast
Carrie Hope Fletcher plays the role of Cinderella. Carrie made her West End debut at nine years old, playing young Éponine in Les Misérables. She then went on to appear as Jemima Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Jane Banks in Mary Poppins.
As an adult she made a return to Les Mis, playing (adult) Éponine and also returned to Chitty, playing the role of Truly Scrumptious. Other roles Carrie has played include Wednesday Addams in the UK tour of The Addams Family and Veronica Sawyer in Heathers: The Musical at The Other Palace and the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
The stepmother will be played by Victoria Hamilton-Barritt who's appeared in Death of a Salesman, The View UpStairs, Murder Ballad and the West End production of In the Heights.
The role of Prince Sebastian will be played by Ivano Turco, a graduate of the Urdang Academy who will be making his West End debut in Cinderella.
Rebecca Trehearn plays the role of The Queen, Rebecca has appeared in Show Boat on the West End, the UK tour of Ghost the Musical and Dogfight at the Southwark Playhouse.
Also in the cast are Caleb Roberts as Prince Charming, Laura Baldwin and Georgina Castle as the Stepsisters, Gloria Onitiri as the Godmother, Georgina Onuorah as the Ensemble / Alternate Cinderella, Sam Robinson as Dorian, Giovanni Spano as Gawain and Vinny Coyle as Arthur.
Who wrote Cinderella?
We all know that the music for this version of Cinderella comes from the mind of Andrew Lloyd Webber, the mastermind behind many famous musicals including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Andrew said he's always wanted to take on the Brothers Grimm fairytale but it's been a matter of finding the right twist to add to the story.
The book was written by Emerald Fennell who recently won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars for her film, Promising Young Woman which she wrote, produced and directed as well as starring in it! Emerald has appeared in The Danish Girl, Call the Midwife, Victoria and The Crown and worked as a writer on Drifters and Killing Eve.
The lyrics were written by David Zippel who worked with Andrew before on the musical The Woman in White. David has also worked on City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl and Disney's Hercules.
WATCH: Trailer for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella
Who directed Cinderella?
Cinderella has been directed by Laurence Connor whose directing credits include Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the English National Opera's production of Chess, School of Rock and Miss Saigon.
Where is Cinderella on the West End?
Cinderella's first home is the Gillian Lynne Theatre which is located on Drury Lane, London. The theatre is no stranger to a Lloyd Webber musical with the theatre having been home to productions of Cats, Joseph and School of Rock.
How to get tickets to Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella:
Tickets for this production of Cinderella start at £19.50 and customers can exchange their tickets free of charge up to at least 24 hours prior to the event. Tickets can be purchased from the official Cinderella Website.
For enquiries regarding accessibility at the Gillian Lynne Theatre you can contact access@lwtheatres.co.uk, further information is available on the Lloyd Webber Theatres website.
When is Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella closing?
Cinderella will take her final bow in the West End on Sunday 12 June 2022.
Do I need a COVID pass?
LW Theatres have dropped their requirement for audience members to bring their COVID pass.
Read our full guide on West End COVID entry requirements.
Cinderella: Running time
The official running time for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella is 2 hours & 40 minutes (including 20 min interval).
Is there a Cinderella cast recording?
Yes, the original West End cast album of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella is currently available to buy and stream.
The album includes the songs 'Bad Cinderella', 'Only You, Lonely You' and 'I Know I Have a Heart'. As well as guest performances from Todrick Hall and Adam Lambert.
Is Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella going to Broadway?
While nothing's set in stone it's looking likely that Cinderella is set to cross the pond. Following the announcement of the closure of the West End production, Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed in the same statement that there are now plans for the show to arrive in New York in 2023.
It's fair to say that Andrew Lloyd Webber has seen success on Broadway with The Phantom of the Opera holding the record for the longest running Broadway musical - so fingers crossed that Cinderella can impress New Yorkers too!
WATCH: Meet Cinderella
Scroll through some of our favourite Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Andrew's first real success came with his theatre adaptation of Joseph's story and his "coat of many colours". The show began life as a 15-minute school performance in London in 1968, and by 1974 it had developed into its current iteration. The show has starred many famous faces through the years including David Cassidy, Jason Donovan, Donny Osmond, Phillip Schofield, Stephen Gately and Lee Mead all playing the titular role. A 1999 film adaptation saw Donny reprise his role of Joseph.
The musical was revived in 2019 with a new production at the London Palladium with Jac Yarrow in the lead role. The production made a return in 2021 following the pandemic and is currently on tour.
Jesus Christ Superstar
Another of Andrew's musical to borrow its plot from the bible, Jesus Christ Superstar follows the last week of Jesus' life before he was crucified. The show started out as a rock opera album, before it was made into a fully-fledged musical. The show opened on Broadway in October 1971, with rock god Alice Cooper even playing King Herod in 1996 in London.
Evita
Releasing Jeeves after Jesus Christ Superstar, Andrew chose a biographical topic for his next musical - focusing on the life of Eva Perón, the second wife of Argentine President Juan Perón. The show's most famous song is 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina', and was made into a film in 1996 with Madonna in the lead role (pictured) starring alongside Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce.
Cats
Taking inspiration from T. S. Eliot's poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, the show's plot may be slightly tenuous but the production itself is always marvellous. Its most famous song is 'Memory', sang by the character of Grizabella who was originated by theatre legend Elaine Paige, reprising her role for the 1998 film. Other famous faces to have played the role are Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger, Beverley Knight, Leona Lewis and Jennifer Hudson in the 2019 film adaptation. Fun fact: Judi Dench was all set to originate the role of Grizabella, but tore her Achilles tendon just before the show began. She later played Old Deuteronomy in the 2019 film.
Starlight Express
If cats weren't hard enough to emulate on stage for three hours, ALW then decided to write a musical purely about trains! The actors traditionally perform the show on roller skates, and the titular song is possibly the most well-known. Premiering in 1984, the original West End production ran for eight years before a revised version launched in 1992 and ran for 10 years.
The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera is the longest running Broadway musical and the second longest-running West End musical - and no surprise, as it's one of the most beloved shows of all time. Based on the novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux, the story follows the titular Phantom, a disfigured music genius who lives in a labyrinth underneath the Paris Opéra House who becomes obsessed with singer Christine.
Sunset Boulevard
Based on the 1950 film of the same name, Sunset Boulevard follows the story of a former Hollywood star who clings to her old life - ending in complete tragedy. The most well-known song is 'As If We Never Said Goodbye', and the show initially ran from 1993 until 1997.
Whistle Down the Wind
Another musical based on a film, Whistle Down the Wind premiered in 1996 and the story followed that of the 1961 movie. It originally opened in the US, before a reworked run in the West End in 1998. One of the most famous songs from the show is 'No Matter What', which was recorded at the time by Boyzone for the concept album and went onto become one of their biggest hits.
Love Never Dies
A sort-of sequel to Phantom, Love Never Dies premiered in 2010 and followed the characters of the Phantom, Christine, her husband Raoul and their son Gustave 10 years after the events of the original. It opened on the West End with Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo reprising their roles from as Christine and the Phantom at the Royal Albert Hall 25th Anniversary Cast in 2011.
School of Rock
Yet another musical based on a film, School of Rock was something a bit different for Andrew, following the same story as the 2003 Jack Black movie: a rock singer who has fallen on hard times poses as a music teacher. It premiered in the US in 2015 before transferring to the West End in 2016. Its final performance was in March 2020, to make way for Andrew's upcoming musical, Cinderella.
Cinderella
Which brings us to... Cinderella! Andrew's most recent musical is a modern interpretation of the original story. The West End production starred Carrie Hope Fletcher in the titular role and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother. The musical's opening was postponed multiple times by the COVID-19 Pandemic but eventually opened in 2021 to rave reviews.
The West End production ended its run in June 2022 with the show now running across the pond on Broadway under the new name 'Bad Cinderella'.
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