Beauty and the Beast

If anyone needed cheering up on a cold winter’s evening my advice would be to go and see a pantomime, so if anyone took my advice they would go home feeling a lot happier after seeing Beauty and the Beast at Polegate!  Fun abounded and it was a very good way to end your 50th year celebrations.  There is also pathos in the story and this was very well handled.

In true pantomime tradition, Good and Evil were the first to appear on stage represented by Emily Albertella as Flora, the rosy good fairy and Cris Haniver as Belladonna, a wicked sorceress looking evil and ravishing at one and the same time.  Great performances from both with Belladonna deserving all the boos!

Belle, young and pretty with a lovely voice was played with grace by Heather Tingley.  Her two sisters (not so lovely in character!) were played with vigour by Mandy Brown as Esmeralda and Helen Griffin, who was standing in as Ermengarde at very short notice and was word perfect.  Marcelle and Monique were played by Charisse Goddard and Sue Talmadge in vain endeavours to try to make the aforementioned pair beautiful – lovely characterisations.  Hope-Marie Henderson was “God’s gift to women Gustave!” – very nicely done.

What can one say about Madame Fifi?  Chris Thompson was the ideal Dame with wonderful outfits and wigs (I really loved the Abba costume!) and playing up to the audience at every opportunity in true Dame-like style. Good work from Laura Catchpole as Jacques with Trevor Fuggle giving an excellent performance as Alphonse.

Warren Goddard acted the parts of Prince Danton and The Beast with panache. The Beast’s costume was beautiful and scary!  Bill Haniver’s cameo part as Monsieur Le Fou came over so well and the whole production was enhanced by the ensemble and The Sue Wood Dancers. The whole cast were in good voice.

The costumes were excellent – super colours and fabrics and all was complemented by the lovely set – well done to the set construction and painting teams. Musical Director Michelle Radley led the band who supported the singers so well.  The programme was very well produced with interesting content and if you would like to let me have five copies, it could be entered into the NODA Poster/Programme Competition for next year.

I love panto as I always think that if a young child sees this sort of production they could possibly want to act and sing themselves in the future. You never know!

Well done to all involved, including everyone with those all important jobs backstage and front of house and especially to Director/Choreographer Sue Wood, Co-Director Cris Haniver and Musical Director Michelle Radley.

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