Rio Ferdinand blasts Cinderella pantomime boo boys

STAND-IN England captain and pantomime enthusiast Rio Ferdinand launched a scathing attack on fellow audience members last night in a furious post-show interview at the Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds.

The centre-half reacted angrily after what he saw as unfair criticism of Cinderella’s stepsisters from the audience during an early preview of this year’s pantomime.

“The people who’ve done that need to have a long, hard look at themselves. I think they will feel a bit embarrassed when they get home and have a think about it.” Ferdinand said in the theatre foyer.

“That character’s got a tough job, and it’s not helpful to have booing. When you go and see a pantomime you should be getting behind the characters.

“They want a happy ending just like everyone in the audience. Look at the determination on the faces of the two men playing the horse, you can see how much it means to them.”

The audience were quick to voice their discontent with the stepsisters when they made what could be perceived as unhelpful comments to Cinderella when under pressure 15 minutes after the interval.

Ferdinand, famed for his love of children’s entertainment such as pantomimes, bouncy castles, and balloon artists, admitted privately that the booing had “merked his entire evening”.

The Fairy Godmother was also quick to rise to the defence of her Goddaughter’s step-sisters: “To be fair, it’s a lot easier to do well and perform at your best when they’re not booing you.

“You can be the most strong-minded character in the world but, when that happens to you, it makes your performance a little bit tougher. The audience need to understand that anyone can make a mistake.

“By the end, the majority of the audience started to realise what was going on, what we were trying to do out there, and at the final curtain most were clapping.”

Cinderella’s Italian director Beppe Signori had been under considerable pressure for the show to be a success after Aladdin, the last pantomime to have a run in the prestigious Suffolk theatre, failed to qualify for the 2008 European Pantomime Championships.

Published December 19, 2008

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