Beauty And The Beast

This is a huge show to take on with lots of parts and LAMP's Children's Theare group tackled it admirably. Well drilled youngsters showed their love and enthusiasm for being on stage. As villagers, they had all their roles and activities pat, giving a spectacle of colour and movement. They are to be congratulated on their freeze moment and on their shift to prejudice and menace towards Maurice and The Beast. Then as castle staff and Spoons, Knives and Forks, well costumed, they performed as one. The Wolves were wonderful, so lifelike in their pack activity with their circling movements and vicious attacks on their prey. Jack Wallace as The Beast was a towering, powerful presence, especially with wonderful headpiece and makeup, and cut a lonely figure conveying his tortured nature in How Long Must This Go On and If I Can’t Love Her. Belle was also a lonely figure but Niamh McDonald, in her first principal role, also showed the character's grit in supporting and rescuing her father Maurice and enduring the Beast’s aggression. Her numbers Home and A Change in Me demonstrated her sweet voice while her duets with The Beast and with Gaston clearly showed her different feelings for each. Joseph Gall as Gaston gave a satisfyingly loud, bragging and bullying performance with memorable and comedic treatment of Belle as ‘his bride to be’. Charlie Fleming as LeFou, understood his role giving it plenty of personality. The audience warmed to the rapport between Lumiere, Dane Brown and Cogsworth, Euan Campbell, both confident and comedic in their roles with nicely timed lines. Both owned their characters and costumes as did Izzy Holmes as Mrs Potts who had a beautifully controlled voice and who conveyed her friendly and reassuring nature. Her son Chip played by Harry Fleming had a clear ‘chippy’ voice and did well to be wheeled about in that trolley. In different kinds of role, Jessica Corr showed a natural grace and assurance as Babette and Alice Redding was in fine voice and dress as Madame De La Bouche. All sang well together and with poignancy in Something There and Human Again. Other roles such as Luke Van Der Walt as Maurice, Elizabeth Lozinski as Monsieur D’Arque, Isabella Wilson as Narrator and the three Silly Girls Freya Duncan, Amy Arnot and Ella Pryde all performed well. The fight scene was well choreographed, the backgrounds added to the atmosphere and the scene changes happened smoothly. All involved should be congratulated on an enjoyable and memorable show.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.