IT WAS a familiar tale with a whole new twist.

Rossini’s La Cenerentola is known in English as Cinderella but contains many subtle twists and differences to make it entertainingly different. There’s no glass slipper, for instance, but a recognisable bracelet. There’s no fairy godmother but there is Alidoro, a wizard.

But, much as this was fairytale with a Continental twist, the spirit of the English pantomime was never far away. Indeed, the whole piece could be seen as a celebration of camp.

The two ugly sisters, for instance, would have made Dame Edna Everage appear as though she had impeccable taste. The Prince Ramiro was as camp as they come. And both Don Magnifico and Dandini were to this opera as Laurel and Hardy were to the silver screen. The costumes were as garish as they were ridiculous and inappropriate.

The spirit of farce was never far away and it worked. Just as stage silliness can be tiresome, this production never lost any of the verve and vivacity with which it started. It was produced by Joan Font and replaced a venerable production which Welsh National Opera has in its repertoire for some years. It is inspired, particularly the lighting and special effects.

But what of the music? Carlo Rizzi conducted a measured performance where the typically complex Rossini ensembles built to frenzied climaxes but he was always in control.

There was some excellent singing, though the second act felt altogether stronger and more resolute than the first. Angelina – the name given to the Cinderella character – was sung by Marianna Pizzolato. Her fine and rich mezzo-soprano rather blew away the myth of the waif- like Cinderella we all might expect. There was also some fine singing from Robert Poulton, singing Don Magnifico, and from Darren Abrahams, singing Don Ramiro and standing in for Colin Lee, though Abrahams did, just occasionally, seem to lack confidence in his role.

And those rats! A team of six rats observed all that was going on, and were there in every scene acting as the only true friends Cinderella seemed to have – until the ultimate, and well-known conclusion of this piece.

Another charming addition to the WNO repertoire and well worth catching.