Beauty and the Beast

We are all familiar with the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. A selfish young Prince transformed into a hideous beast and forced to live in solitude until Beauty arrives and breaks the spell through her love.   The story is a legend and has even been given the magical touch of Disney.

This performance was different however. We were treated to this romantic pantomime, performed by a local cast who staged an enchanted production that was suitable for all the family. It was full of laughter, cheering, booing, music and dancing under the directorship of Stuart Morrison.

The show opened with a can-can dance and we were transported into a narrative delivered by Spirit of the Rose (Austin Davey) whose script was well rehearsed and was delivered in a tone that endeared the audience to him. His “opposite” was Morgana (Audrey Younes) “the baddy” in the pantomime who was confident on stage and interacted with her audience gaining boos and hisses throughout the show. Well done Audrey you are an accomplished performer and you should be proud of the performance you delivered. Your mischievous plotting was very convincing as was your surly smile. I think we are going to see a lot more of you on stage.

A vain and selfish Prince ((Zach Air) is cursed to live as a fearsome Beast and his only hope is to find true love before the final rose petal falls. But who could ever love a Beast?  Well Beauty (Elisa Mullen) could and her relationship with the Beast was sweet growing from a respect and friendship before eventually blossoming into true love. You both gave a performance that captured the magic of a fairy tail romance. Elisa, you have a voice that is ideal for stage so protect the gift you have.

A big thanks must also go to Yvette Adams who in her first year with this society stepped into the role of The Beast in the true spirit of the show must go on. We hope to see more of you on stage Yvette.

Billy (Eric Tolman) was the pantomime comic. Eric had a blend of character traits in his role as Billy; he has performance skills in adlibbing but most importantly he engages effectively with the audience and becomes their best friend. Eric, you generated energy and laughter on stage. Your slapstick comedy with the mayor (Tony Jackson) performing the “Ice cream” song was very funny and I also know you had a hand in writing some of the comical scenes in the script. You gave 100% thank you.

Nurse La La (Becks Macey) was hilarious. I particularly enjoyed your stripper scene that was backed by music from James Bond, Local Hero etc. This role would traditionally be performed by a male character playing a flamboyant female character. However, this did not detract from your excellent comedic performance. Well done, Becks.

Commendation must also go to the dancers who not only produced polished ensembles but also shone with smiles throughout the show. They clearly enjoyed their role on stage and were a delight to watch. The opening of the second act began with an ensemble of Hot Stuff that generated energy and enthusiasm for what was to come. Going forward a word of caution to the sound crew not to have the backing music so loud it overpowers the voices on stage. Acoustics are difficult to balance particularly in a village hall. 

I must mention one of the dancers by name, Mollie Goose. Your solo at the front of the stage was bewitching and you captivated the mood whilst singing “She put a spell on you.” You have a very distinctive voice that is pleasing to the ear. A voice to be nurtured and developed. Well done Mollie.

The comedy of the bed scene in the second act that moved to the stamp of a foot was hilarious and filled with one liners that brought laughter. I am specifically thinking of the “Story of Bo Peep and The Silence of the Lambs. This pantomime also had a traditional pantomime ghost as well as a terrestrial lighting, space odyssey scene. The backdrop scenery was creative and effective. The music was powerful and occasionally overcame the voices of the soloists.

The Encore Panto Group clearly have a strong team working behind the scene. The costumes were colourful and dazzling. The props didn’t always work quite as expected but this is panto after all and the audience love it when things don’t quite go to plan. The back stage crew did an excellent job.

This sparkling production delivered everything a pantomime audience expects, dazzling costumes, hilarious comedy, music and a few unexpected surprises along the way. The show was bursting with personality, charm and panto magic from start to finish. With romance, jaw-dropping sets and plenty of audience participation. The script was true panto hilarity and commendation must go to the writer Stuart Morrison.

 Beauty and the Beast was a perfect start to panto season. Thank you for the invitation, I had a thoroughly enjoyable evening as I am sure your audience did too.

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