Beauty and the Beast

From the opening notes of the overture to the shining talents of the principals to the glistening costumes it was obvious we were in for a sparkling evening’s entertainment. 16 year old schoolgirl Stephanie Walker was outstanding as Belle with magnificent voice and stage presence. Her rendition of “A Change In Me” was delightful. The change from outright hostility to love between Belle and the Beast - another outstanding performance from 19 year old Sean Farmery – was beautifully portrayed by the two young actors. Sean’s renditions of “How Long Must This Go On?” and “If I Can’t Love Her” were powerful and poignant in equal measure. The chemistry between Calum Armstrong as the tightly sprung Cogsworth and Callum Adams as the flashy Lumiere made for many hilarious moments. Lucy Harris made a charming Mrs Potts with a beautiful strong voice belying her 17 years - her rendition of “Beauty and the Beast” had the audience spellbound. Bradley Phillips made a superbly swaggering and egotistic Gaston, ably assisted by Angus Hogg as his put-upon side-kick Lefou. Strong support was given by Alastair Eddie (Maurice, Belle’s father) and Katie Hindle (Babette), Imogen Bews (Mme DL Grande Bouche) and 10 year old Ezra Usmani (Chip) as the other members of the household. The singing and dancing of the chorus was of a high standard - especially in the spectacular “Be Our Guest” number. The set, designed and built by Susan Ball, moved seamlessly between the dark forbidding castle interior to bright village square. Congratulations to everyone involved for another exceptional production.

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