Beauty and the Beast

If pantomime is a singularly British theatrical tradition, then village pantomime is a delightful version of that tradition. I love it!

Immediately on entering the village hall one had the feeling of a team working together to achieve something which would seem impossible in such a small community. After having relieved us of some money for the raffle we were shown to our seats to anticipate the evening’s entertainment. 

The script for this Panto was written by Brian Luff of Pantoscripts and kept quite faithfully to the original story. To be fair there are several versions, but they are all similar in theme and outcome. The Panto opened with the wicked fairy, Elvinia, casting a spell on the prince to turn him into the into the Beast. Her evil demeanour with a hint of sauciness was delightful. The good fairy, Aurora, exhibited a beautifully measured portrayal of the sweetness and determination that you would expect from a good fairy, not to mention a fascinatingly illuminated dress.

A Panto needs a strong and energetic chorus and TIPPS did not disappoint us. Special mention must be made of the junior chorus who were lively and word perfect. Well done!

Much of the comedy came from Bertie Piddle-Hinton and Aubrey Huffington who were seeking the hand of Beauty but snared into engagement by her outrageous elder and ugly stepsisters. Yes, they are in the wrong Panto and they know it!

Beauty was well cast and portrayed her character with confidence and poise throughout the show. Her dances were well executed. An energetic Dame Peekaboo worked hard to keep the audience participating, an essential part of a good Panto. Tom Goodenough, Beauty’s father, gave a suitably paternal performance and established a good rapport with his daughter.

Although Elvinia had transformed the prince into the Beast in the first scene we did not see the Beast until scene five after Tom Goodenough had been unhorsed and was trying to find his way home. Suitably menacing, one sensed there was a soft centre to this brute. The Prince came into his own once Beauty had declared her love.

You do not always expect technical excellence at a village Panto but the enchanted forest and the transformation scenes were a delight. The show was well lit and with good sound effects. The costumes were excellent. The scenery was convincing. There were two things that I found disconcerting. There were far too many prompts for the penultimate performance, and I wasn’t convinced by the choice of some of the songs. That aside, it was a great evening which we, and the rest of the audience, thoroughly enjoyed; and we walked out with two raffle prizes!

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what they see at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance, and it is inevitable that their assessment will be affected by that knowledge.

The N.O.D.A. Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular the performance viewed.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre.

It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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