Character Profiles
Toby
Toby is a red haired, freckled, friendly, country larrikin and trickster who happens to stumble upon the story of Cinderella. A country bumpkin at heart, Toby uses his wit and playful naivety to drive the storyline, while acting as fairy godmother to Cindy. Initially thought to be the Prince, Toby goes from being complimented and admired, to the household handy man, scoffed at and ordered around, yet his sense of humor never fades. A truly kind-hearted and genuine guy, Toby must restore justice within the household to ensure Cindy gets her happily ever after.
Cindy
Cindy is a kind and loving girl who was forced to become the servant in her own home after the death of her father. Forced to cook and clean for her horrid stepmother and two stepsisters, Cindy manages to find happiness in her creative imagination, hoping that one day her prince will rescue her. Smart and witty, she makes friends with the loveable Toby, who sees that Cindy lives her dream of going to the ball and dancing with the Prince.
Mrs Van Undersquire
The hoity-toity Mrs Van Undersquire is Cindy’s very cruel stepmother; our villain within the plot. Viciously cold and sneaky, Mrs Van Undersquire selfishly devises a plan to keep Cindy from inheriting her parent’s fortune and marrying the Prince. She cares only for her two daughters, of whom she is very proud. She will go to any measure to see that her plans are not interfered with and that one of her daughters marries the Prince.
Sophia and Mauderina
Sophia and Mauderina are Mrs Van Undersquire’s daughters. The eldest of the two sisters, Sophia, speaks musically throughout the story. Her speech ranges up and down the melodic scales and one gasps in wonder as she holds particular notes. The younger sister, Mauderina, also has her own creative way of expressing herself. Mauderina speaks entirely in verse while over exaggeratedly expressing her rhyming words. Both sisters display their shallowness as they are head over heels for Toby while they believe he is the Prince, but, realising their mistake, they dissolve into vapours at the thought of conversing with a servant. Similar disdain is conveyed to Cindy throughout the play as they continually throw nasty remarks her way.
Prince Burtock
Burtock is a handsome and charming young prince who, in order to inherit his fortune, must marry a daughter of Mrs Van Undersquire, according to his late mother’s wishes. Tired of being considered as just a Prince, Burtock suddenly finds himself mesmerised by Cindy, for she had liked him even before she realised that he was a Prince. When it comes to the decisive moment of announcing his bride, Burtock is faced with the decision of choosing between his fortune, including his beloved hobby aeroplane, and marrying Cindy the servant. Before Toby can even reveal Mrs Van Undersquire’s hideous plan of deceit, Burtock chooses.
Colonel
The comical old war veteran, the Colonel, in his elderly years has become quite hard of hearing, which causes him to hear sentences that are at quite a tangent to what is actually being said. The Colonel also has an imaginary dog named Ulysses that accompanies him. The Colonel continually finds opportunities to amuse himself whether laughing at his own jokes, encouraging his dog to torment Mrs Van Undersquire or reminiscing about the good old days, before suddenly falling asleep, even while standing up. The Colonel is kindhearted as he seeks to see that his grandson inherits his fortune. For this, the Colonel must gain the support of Mrs Van Undersquire in order to encourage Burtock to marry either Sophia or Mauderina.
The Vaudevillians (Clowns)
The Vaudevillian characters are a team of clowns who help Toby to stage the play and perform circus routines between the acts. Their colourful costumes and hilarious antics create the playful and cheerful mood traditional to this style of performance. These short variety acts, which include clowning, circus and music are introduced by Toby, who acts as a crazy ringmaster during the show.