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A Kent based pantomime has been criticised for it's Royal family references

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The Canterbury based pantomime Cinderella has come under fire this week for casting the Ugly Sister roles as Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.

The panto at Marlow theatre featured two male actors, Ian Smith and Michael J Batchelor, who both dressed up as the royal princesses.

The choice of names used for the Ugly Sisters has now provoked a local council official to write a formal letter complaining that idea behind the names of the Ugly Sisters was 'sad and pathetic', reported the Daily Express.

Senior planning officer Bob Britnell said that the real princesses, the daughters of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, were 'just two pretty, ordinary girls who get on with their lives without courting celebrity, so why mock them?

'Sadly, there are plenty of people out there willing to mock others for no good reason. What a shame our pantomime has added to them. Shame on the producers and shame on the theatre for not intervening.'

The producer and writer of the panto Paul Hendry said that Mr Britnell had been 'misinformed' and that although the characters were indeed called Beatrice and Eugenie, there was at no point during the show that they were called the Ugly Sisters or any reference to the Royal Family at all.

Mr Hendry added, 'In pantomime, there is a long tradition of using the names of famous people. The real Beatrice and Eugenie famously have a wonderful sense of humour and I'm sure they would find this highly amusing.'

Cinderella at the Marlow theatre will be showing until the 22 January and stars EastEnders actor John Partridge, Britain's Got More Talent Stephen Mulhern and Dinner Ladies actress Sue Devaney. For more information on tickets and prices go to www.britevents.com

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