Karina Mertens, director of Cinderella, A Fairly True Story reveals some of the magic behind the latest musical production to arrive at Resorts World Sentosa.
We’re told that Cinderella, A Fairly True Story is not a mere retelling of the fairytale that many people grew up with. How different is it?
We have retained some of the classic elements like Cinderella’s slippers, the magical pumpkin transformation and the ball. But for this musical, we went back to the original Cinderella story and realised that several things have been left out over the years. For example, the shoe was originally made of fur and it became a glass shoe because of a mistranslation. We decided to put the fur shoes back in our story and wrote a very funny song about this.
We also challenge the audience to think about fate. Should you simply accept the role that life has given you? If the hand that we are dealt with is a bad one, shouldn’t we try and change things? Do people need to stand up for themselves more?
How will you achieve this effect?
We’ve added a brand-new character – the reporter. He is both the storyteller and the one who dares to question the characters. This will also make the audience reflect on these things.
Find out which character from Cinderella, A Fairly True Story you are.
Will the audience recognise all the music in this production?
Well, about one-third of the songs are popular hits. The rest are original compositions, written by Dutch composer Ad van Dijk and the auteur of the script, Stany Crets, while Matt Dunkley has written all-new arrangements.
What has been the most difficult scene to do and what was so challenging about it?
I think the most difficult scene is the one when Cinderella’s fairy godmother appears to help her get ready for the ball and all the magic is happening. This has to be done just right as it’s one of the big moments of the fairytale.
Can you tell us more about the technology used in this production?
We’re working a lot with high-tech scene projects to portray the different locations, which enables us to create a whole fairytale world in a matter of seconds. We also use special effects in a few scenes, but I can’t tell you too much – don’t want to spoil the surprise!
Where do the cast come from and what is the key to getting everyone to work together seamlessly?
It helps that most of the cast members know each other from working on previous productions together, so they’re already a close-knit group. Our prince is Australian, but the singing cast is mainly Belgian, so we were able to start working on the acting scenes earlier in Belgium. The dancers are mainly French, Italian and Dutch. In the beginning of the story, we see Cinderella at a younger age.
For this role, we have been lucky to get some great young actresses from Singapore.
What would you tell people to encourage them to come and see the show?
If you want a fun night out for the whole family that is filled with enough food for thought, you should come and see our Cinderella. We have a very strong cast and technical crew, who will all be working their hearts out together to deliver the best experience and an amazing fairytale adventure.
This article was first published in Invites Magazine December 2015.
Cinderella, A Fairly True Story tickets
| Date: | 10 Dec 2015 – 4 Jan 2016 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Show Times: | Thu: 7pm Fri – Mon: 2pm and 7pm (no show on Tue and Wed) |
||||||||||||||||||||
| Venue: | Resorts World™ Theatre, Resorts World Sentosa | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Prices*: |
1Child must be accompanied by at least one (1) adult. Get your tickets at SISTIC or Resorts World Theatre.
|
Cinderella Giveaway Lucky Draw ContestStand a chance to win Cinderella’s jewellery by Swarovski worth over S$1,000 with every ticket purchased. Term and conditions apply, please view the full terms and conditions. Promotions for Cinderella, A Fairly True Story(Discounts are only applicable to Adult – Standard tickets and are not applicable to Child and Senior Tickets.) Cinderella Family PackageFamily Package A @ S$309 (U.P. S$373) Family Package B @ S$258 (U.P. S$292)
1Child ticket is valid for children aged 4 to 12 years old only. No upgrade of child tickets to adult tickets allowed. Universal Studios Singapore Santa’s All-Star ChristmasUniversal Studios Singapore after 5pm Admission with Cinderella Cat 3 Ticket (Fri – Mon, 2pm only) at S$84. Terms & conditions apply.
RWS Invites Membership Special PromotionReceive Two Cat 2 tickets and a Programme Booklet (Worth S$234) when you sign up RWS Invites Membership at S$150.
RWS Invites Members2 2RWS Invites card must be presented upon purchase. Members are not entitled to earn Invites Dollars for purchases made at SISTIC counters, except at Resorts World Theatre. RWS Invites Attractions Members and Season Pass Holders3▸ 15% discount for all categories 3RWS Invites Attractions card and Season Pass must be presented upon purchase. MasterCard® Cardholders▸ Enjoy 20% off all categories with MasterCard®
NTUC Card Members▸ Enjoy 25% off all categories with NTUC Card
Full-Time Students4▸ 20% discount for all categories 4Student pass must be presented upon purchase and at theatre entrance for verification. Check out all Cinderella: A Fairly True Story blog posts. |
