Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast comes in many guises, and this was another different telling of the greatest story ever told by a poodle, (yes, a poodle). What a poodle he was, Felix (Hayley Turner), in his magnificent costume and with his beautiful “cod” French accent he dominated the stage and gave a good solid performance. Malabelle, the wicked witch, (Meryl Anderson), was a delight to boo, this suave and elegant lady, beautifully dressed and with a confident swagger gave a strong acting performance.

Beauty, (Kitty Perrin), looked every part the princess. Ma, Beauty’s Mum, (Roger Turner) had to turn into a man to reach the castle, I was not sure why, and I felt it confused the story somewhat. Roger is an experienced actor and gave us glimpses of that during his performance. Jacques, (Kain Mansfield), Beauty’s brother and his girlfriend Capucine (Lily Hodges), the fiery and feisty village blacksmith made up the family group that helped Beauty find true happiness.

At the centre of the story is Prince Christophe, who is changed into the Beast by the wicked Malabelle. This father and son, (Barnaby and Brian Grindley) gave us a very convincing portrayal of both characters as we were shown the different facets of the Beast, whilst also seeing the tenderness of the prince.

Inside the castle we meet “the furniture” who gave us some good comic moments and all dressed in their clever and convincing costumes. Firstly, was the painting, Aimee and Remy (Larissa Burns and Jack Addy), who with their jolly antics made an instant hit with the audience. Talking Clock, (Richard Peat) with his lovely deadpan delivery made us smile every time he came onto the stage. A chest of drawers, (Stuart Hoddy-Brown) and an elegant table, (Majorie Womack) played a full part in making the furniture such a pleasure to watch. Adding to the overall effect of these scenes was a barely trodden on carpet, (Tom Underwood), who appeared to rise from the floor and surprise us all.

The ensemble with new members mixing with the more experienced smiled and danced their way through the musical numbers.

I felt that amplification would have been an asset as some of the less experienced performers found it difficult to be heard over the band.

This script for this unusual telling of the tale, seemed to make it difficult for the cast to maintain a good pace but it was still enjoyed by an almost full house in the Village Hall.

 

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