Sundaes, Songs and Slippers: Cinderella Ice Cream Seller Scoops a Fresh Take on a Classic Tale

A delicious twist on the classic fairy tale, Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Musical is a new family show bursting with music, storytelling, and sprinkles of theatrical magic. Set inside a fantastical ice cream parlour, it follows Cinderella’s journey from humble beginnings to running her very own dessert empire – all told through the eyes of two employees, Talvi and Caldwell. 

We spoke to David Gibb, the show’s writer, composer and performer (who also plays Caldwell), ahead of its run at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

For those unfamiliar with Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – how would you describe it in one sentence?It’s a joyful, musical reimagining of the Cinderella story, set in a magical ice cream shop, where fairy tales and frozen treats come together in the most unexpected (and delicious) ways.

What inspired you to mix the world of ice cream with one of the most iconic fairytales of all time?There’s something instantly exciting about ice cream – it’s fun, it’s colourful, and it sparks joy in kids and grown-ups alike. So the idea of combining that with a story everyone thinks they know felt like a great way to surprise people. It allowed us to take the familiar and twist it into something playful and new. Plus, the image of Cinderella dishing up sundaes in a glass slipper was just too good to resist!

You’ve said this show is about bravery and learning to listen to people who are different from you – why did that feel important to include in a children’s musical?I think those are such important messages for all of us, but especially for children who are still figuring out how to navigate the world and relate to others. At its heart, the show is about two characters who see the world very differently, but gradually come to understand and respect each other. That felt like something worth exploring, especially at the moment when it feels like our society is becoming more and more tribal and antagonistic.  And when you wrap those ideas in music, laughter and a bit of magic, they tend to land in a more lasting, meaningful way.

What’s your personal go-to ice cream order – and is it hiding in the show anywhere?My favourite ice cream was something called a Zapp which you could usually only buy from ice cream vans, and was tragically discontinued a few years ago. It's not hiding in the set but I did have huge amounts of fun coming up with ice cream names for the show. My favourite is 'quadruple choc chip choo choo banana bonanza'. 

What do you hope kids and families take away from the show?That they’ve laughed, maybe felt a little something deeper too, and that it gave them a chance to connect – not just with the story, but with each other. I really want to create a shared musical experience for children and parents. We've had lots of audiences tell us that they've stopped for ice cream on the way home. 

Lastly, if you could create your own fantasy ice cream flavour inspired by the show, what would it be called and what would be in it?There was a bit in the show where we were playing with the most pretentious hipster ice cream flavours we could imagine and we came up with 'Pink Peppercorn, Cinnamon and Basil'. I'm sure it'd be gross, but I'd love to see it made and served in some trendy parlour in Shoreditch. 

Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Musical is at Underbelly, Bristo Square, Ermintrude, 30 July – 17 August (not 13 & 14), 11.40 (12.40) For tickets go to https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/cinderella-ice-cream-seller-a-musical