Beauty and the Beast

This was a very slick and professional looking Pantomime. There was a very good set with some lovely back drops. Costumes were colourful with plenty of changes and all enhanced by beautiful hair and makeup. The show was splendidly lit with some nice effects such as the rainbow lighting.

It was lovely to see such a young set of principals who had a good energy and sang well. The dialogue possibly was a little rushed on occasions, making it difficult to pick up every word, but they settled into their roles as the show progressed and their diction improved.

The show opened with Flora and Belladonna, who both gave great performances with good characterisation and connected with the audience well. Belle was suitably young and sweet with a nice singing voice and she worked well with her Prince Danton. Madame Fifi did a great job of ad libbing when needed and quickly got the audience joining in with a greeting every time she entered. She was well assisted by Jacques, who performed well as the hapless son. Both connected with the audience with ease and handled the audience participation particularly well. This was strong set of principals.

The dancing was very well rehearsed with some excellent dance routines. There were some lovely costumes for the chorus and a good mix of dance styles, which suited the music well.

The music was very loud at first but there was plenty of modern up tempo music that the cast enjoyed singing. The ensemble work was good with strong vocals and, again, well-rehearsed by the Musical Director. The band was excellent with the musical reactions to the jokes timed perfectly. They literally did not miss a beat.

Director Joanne Plenty made sure there was a well-dressed stage at all times. Entrances and exits were efficient, the acting pacey and the chorus and principals slick. In fact the whole show was so well rehearsed it did feel a little flat on occasions and a bit more energy and spontaneity from the cast as a whole would have given it the boost it needed. That said, this was a really enjoyable and very professional looking production which deserved its enthusiastic audiences. To sell out for every performance of the entire run is a rarity nowadays and a testament to the professionalism and hard work of the group.

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