Glasgow pantomime 'Cinderfella' has all-female cast

2 December 2019

A pantomime writer is tackling gender inequality with an all-female cast for his show Cinderfella at Glasgow's Tron Theatre.

Johnny McKnight came up with the idea after becoming "fed-up with discussions about whether women are funny".

The show features what appears to be a classic Cinderella character but with two idiotic step-brothers who cannot do anything for themselves.

The plot centres around Cinders trying to get to Princess Charmaine's party.

Writer Johnny says he has always felt spoiled for choice when it comes to casting women in his panto productions.

Comedy heroes

He told BBC Radio Scotland's Kaye Adams programme: "Asking about women being funny is weird because I grew up with Victoria Wood and Julie Walters being my big comedy heroes and there are so may Glasgow-based funny women.

"When I've been casting a panto, I've always done a 50-50 split of male and female and you always have discussions as who to cast as the women because there are is a plethora of talent. So it just felt a no-brainer in my third version of Cinderella to make it different.

"I just thought, let's fill it with folk that we all know and make it all women."

Johnny says Cinderfella is full of the usual festive slapstick fun - but with a serious point to make.

'Give it laldy'

He said: "Even though panto should be daft and silly, I still believe there should be equality in the workplace.

"It would be brilliant if more female comedians were celebrated and given the same stability of work as a lot of men have been afforded for hundreds of years. And if that pushes a conversation a bit further then great, and the job's been done.

"Cinderella will hold up whether it's male ugly step-sisters or female ugly step-sisters. As long as the fairytale is still getting told, it doesn't matter as long as they are funny and give it laldy."

Cinderfella, starring Lauren Ellis Steele, Daisy Ann Fletcher and Jo Freer, runs at the Tron until 5 January.