Comic Relief brings together Hollywood bigshots for 'Cinderella' pantomime
What's the story
It is the holiday season, after all! Hollywood biggies such as Olivia Colman, Daniel Craig, and Helena Bonham Carter pitched in to feature on a Comic Relief show. Cinderella: A Comic Relief Pantomime aired on BBC, giving a new lease of Christmas spirit to people stuck in the pandemic. It was a real treat to watch Craig and Colman shed their serious demeanor for fun.
BBC initiative
The program has been produced by Richard Curtis
This was an initiative by BBC to create a Zoom compilation of a pantomime act of Cinderella as a one-off special. The program, produced by Richard Curtis, aired on BBC Two. Pantomime acts, a part of performing arts that require live performance, had a screeching halt this year due to the sweeping effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Cinderella act came as a breather, surely!
Wheezy Jeff
From Bond to Horse: Craig's transformation was brilliantly funny
Daniel "Bond" Craig transformed himself into Wheezy Jeff, the horse, literally wearing the mask of a horse as he sat down to play his part. Among the other celebrities in the special, Anya Taylor-Joy of The Queen's Gambit played Cinderella, while Bonham Carter played Lady Devilia. Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper played the roles of the Evil Step Sisters.
Details
Stars were confirmed just two weeks before the airing
Colman, making her pantomime debut, played the Fairy Godmother, much to the amazement of Curtis, based on the script written by the Dawson Brothers. Curtis added that the stellar cast was locked in only two weeks before. "I'm having to write to everyone I know but Olivia Colman is going to play the Godmother, so I'm sure it's going to be okay," said Curtis.
Reaction
BBC Two thanked Curtis 'for assembling such a stellar cast'
Tom Hollander played the role of Baron Hardup, while comedian Guz Khan played Buttons. BBC Two controller Patrick Holland thanked Curtis for arranging one whole hour of pure fun at such trying times. "Thank you so much to Richard Curtis and the team at Comic Relief for assembling such a stellar cast to deliver us a pantomime to remember," said Holland.