The Prince Charming character has become a modern (1928) young and forceful woman, and Mr Cinders is a menial.
Mr Cinders was originally produced under the management of Julian Wylie at the Opera House Theatre, Blackpool on 25 September 1928 for two weeks, and toured through Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Bradford, and Glasgow until 26 January 1929.
Lady Agatha dominates her weak husband and plots to marry her two foppish sons, Lumley and Guy (from her previous marriage) to wealthy girls, since the Lancasters have lost their fortune.
Guy, however, is in love with a woman named Phyllis Patterson, whom Agatha rejects because of her lack of money.
Jill is an American heiress who lives next door at a stately home, The Towers, with her wealthy father Henry Kemp and her cousin Minerva (who, like Jim, is the poor relation of her family).
Jill, meanwhile, has disguised herself as a servant girl, Sarah Jones, in order to hide from a police officer who has accused her of physical assault on him.
Jim, with the help of Jill, gatecrashes the ball disguised as a famous South American explorer, the Earl of Ditcham.
Jill helps Jim escape, and they capture Smith the butler, the real thief, and leave him tied up for the authorities to arrest.
After the ball, a hat is found that belongs to the valiant person who captured the thief (instead of the glass slipper).
[6] Denis Lawson starred as Jim Lancaster, with Julia Josephs (later succeeded by Christina Matthews) as Jill, Diana Martin as Minerva, Graham Hoadly as Lumley, and Philip Bird (succeeded by Steven Pacey) as Guy.
[6] The hit song from the score, "Spread a Little Happiness", was given to Jim, rather than to Jill who sang it in the original version.
[13] The American premiere of Mr Cinders was in April 1986, at the Forum Theatre, Metuchen, New Jersey.