Beauty and the Beast

It was my first visit to Milford Haven and what a show to start with. Disney’s Beauty and The Beast is a magical musical packed with beautiful music, written of course by Alan Menken. Beauty and the Beast was the first of the Disney musicals brought to the stage back in 1994 when Disney on Broadway was launched, and I dare say was a first introduction to musical theatre for very many people. I saw the London Production many years ago and loved it then and I still love it to this day. This production of Beauty and The Beast does everything to keep that Disney magic alive. A gorgeous production of one of the most loved classics, the show is brought to life by a strong cast (with a notably hard-working Ensemble), good scenery, gorgeous costumes & well executed choreography. 

A special mention to the very impressive 16-piece orchestra who added so much to this production. As an MD myself, it is becoming very easy to replace live orchestras with tracks. For me this takes so much away from the live experience, so I was delighted to see the pit being used in all its glory.

Rhiannon Thomas as Belle carried the show and the tunes gracefully and poignantly, portraying this role beautifully. I absolutely loved her vocal performance! Rhiannon captured me right from the start and being a “Disney Princess” carries such expectation from the excited audience of Baby Belle’s! Rhiannon has a stage presence that is very easy to watch. I hope I see her again! 

Ross Austin as Lumiere sings and dances with all the flair that we have become accustomed to in the animated version of this story and is one of my personal favourites throughout the show. It’s is just such a funny character and I am sure that as a shared role, Wex Davies played the role just as well. Ross’s line delivery and comedy was spot on and he along with Rhiannon were my personal performances of the night.

Danier Bower as The Beast, Peter Sheward-Himpson as Gaston, Grant Thomas as Cogsworth, Charlotte Morgan as Mrs Potts, Robin Clift as Chip, Jen Biddle as Le Fou, Nathan Davies as Maurice, Megan Winnicott as Babette and Katie Smith as Le Grande Bouche gave impressive performances, creating each character very well, coping with those “Disney” costumes and delivering the magic required of a Disney musical. 

So many people, cast and creatives work to bring a show like this to completion and this show really is a testament to all who worked on it and in it. A perfect night out for families, young theatre goes and all those young at heart who believe in the fairytale of true love and the magic that only Disney can create. I would like to thank Sarah for her warm welcome, it was very much appreciated after the long drive down. I am very much looking forward to returning in 2026 for your production of Evita. 

 

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