In the season 2007/08 Cinderella ran at the Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn for a 4 week run. Ticket sales were lifted by 25% on the previous year. This was just one of the reviews:
“I was a little apprehensive taking three generations of my family to see a pantomime. I wasn’t sure what to expect. The youngest of my party was two, with the eldest being 60 years of age, so perhaps it was a tall order to expect us all to be entertained. How wrong I was. The show was fabulous, with the definite stars of the show being the Ugly Sisters. They were hilarious, and far from being booed at every appearance (as is traditional), were cheered at every occasion. With a mixture of traditional and more modern songs, one of the highlights was It’s Raining Men. With lots of local youngsters taking part in the dancing, the three blind mice, Thomas the cat, the good natured narrator Fairy Godmother (played by Radio Lancashire’s Sally Naden), and strong performances from Buttons, Cinderella, Prince Charming and Dandini, the performance was a riot of music and colour and we enjoyed every minute. The two-year-old clapped, danced and joined in, as did the four-year-old - even though the show lasted for close to two and a half hours! The 60 year old also joined in with gusto. As for the 39 year old, well, let’s say roll on next year - I can’t wait... Oh yes I can... Oh no I can’t...”
-Jennifer Brown Lancashire Evening Telegraph