Cinderella with a twist: Shrewsbury church to host interactive musical
A Shropshire-based immersive theatre company is set to bring chaos and spice to St Mary's Church in Shrewsbury when it debuts its first full-length interactive musical this September.
Shrewsbury’s SpellBound Productions is fast becoming the ‘go to’ attraction for fans of theatre and immersive experiences, following the success of the company’s cabaret-style fantasy balls which launched in 2024.
But 2025 sees SpellBound take on a new challenge, as the theatre company presents its first musical, complete with eight possible endings which will be decided by the audience during each performance.
The SpellBound cast will perform their new self-penned interactive musical, Cinderella Retold, in the spectacular setting of St Mary's Church from Thursday to Saturday, September 4 to 6.
Explaining the concept, SpellBound's Creative Director, Polly Wolf said: "I can't wait for audiences to experience this show. As a standalone play, it's brilliant, with great characters and musical numbers, all written by our SpellBound creative team.
“But what really sets Cinderella Retold apart is that, throughout the performance, the Story Master will freeze the action and call on the audience to vote for what they would like to happen next – like Gods deciding each character’s fate!
"With so many potential storylines, it means we're having to rehearse dozens of different scenes, some of which might never even be chosen. But that's what makes it so exciting. No-one knows how each performance will end - not even our actors!
“In fact, they don’t know how it starts either! Our cast are rehearsing for every part, as characters are drawn out of a hat as the show begins.”
Cinderella Retold writer, Hannah Schwarzer, said: “It’s a gloriously dark and chaotic play, with lots of humour and a heavy dash of SpellBound’s trademark spice.
“Cinderella Retold is essentially a ‘choose your own adventure’ story, where our audience get to play with the familiar characters – almost like puppets – to craft something completely new.
“They can choose who they want as the play’s villain and as Cinders’ love interest.
“And they can decide whether characters should prosper or be punished in this decadent world of shadowed ballrooms and dangerous bargains.
“It’s a musical and a game. And a spectacular night out!”
The SpellBound cast, who have previously written for BBC Comedy, appeared on the West End stage and worked internationally, will tour Cinderella Retold around the UK following the play’s debut in the company’s home town.
Tickets are available at at www.spellbound.productions.
