Beauty and The Beast

Washington Theatre Group’s Beauty and the Beast offers a fresh and imaginative twist on the traditional pantomime tale, with a clever script that places the “beast” firmly within its heroine.

The story centres on Princess Rebecca, who must choose a husband and marry so that she and her chosen partner can take over the ruling of the kingdom. Should she fail to do so, her parents will choose for her, as they have little faith that she can rule alone. Meanwhile, Alex, a penniless villager who firmly believes in love at first sight, is convinced he is destined to marry Princess Rebecca. With the help of his loyal friend Squizz, he sets off on an adventure to woo her.

Lurking in the wings are the villainous Vinny and his decidedly unpleasant sidekick, Stinky. Their dastardly plan is to kidnap the princess and force her to drink a magic potion that will make her say yes to everything — including marrying Vinny. However, Princess Rebecca is no passive damsel; she is strong-willed, outspoken, and has a distinctly beastly temper. Her Fairy Godmother, assisted by Fairy-in-Training Fluff, casts a spell upon her — one that will lead to dire consequences if Rebecca doesn’t learn to be kinder to those around her.

The concept of the princess embodying both the Beauty and the Beast is inspired and works extremely well. It gives the story originality and depth while maintaining the fun and accessibility of pantomime. At times the script felt quite wordy, which occasionally led to lines being tripped over and moments where the narrative clarity was lost. That said, the cast handled these moments admirably, showing strong improvisational skills and an impressive ability to build rapport with the audience.

A special mention must go to Melody Dickens as the delightfully silly Daniels. Their connection with the audience was immediate and sustained, resulting in genuine laughter throughout. Marie Lovell gave a strong performance as Princess Rebecca, portraying both her fiery temperament and her softer moments convincingly. Her chemistry with Alex, played by the very charming Cath Mills, was particularly enjoyable to watch.

Fairy Godmother and Fairy Fluff did an excellent job of driving the story forward while injecting humour. The idea that the Fairy in Training is actually the most knowledgeable of all was a lovely touch and played very effectively. Crispin Welby and Alys Rennie were both highly entertaining as the King and Queen. Crispin’s expressive facial work stood out, and his lumberjack song was a definite highlight.

The villains, Vinny and Stinky, portrayed by Peter Wilson and Andrew Molloy, struck a good balance between suitably evil and comically absurd, as pantomime villains should. Michael Tetchner brought great energy to the role of Mrs K, the dame, with the community number Music Man proving infectious and clearly enjoyed by both performers and audience alike.

No pantomime would be complete without a hero’s sidekick, and Lulin Moon was perfectly cast as Squizz, the giant, friendly, talking squirrel. Laura Fern also deserves recognition for her cameo roles as Ship Captain and Stranger, demonstrating confident stage presence and versatility.

The Trish and Trina Performers Academy dancers added polish to the production, delivering energetic, sassy routines that brought charm and a delightful “cute factor” to the show.

Directors Barry Hogan and Simon Smith clearly had their hands full with this ambitious script, but they handled it well. The intimate performance space can present challenges, yet creative solutions were found — most notably the projected chase sequence, which cleverly showcased both the venue and its role within the community. The costumes were well thought out and visually effective, enhancing characterisation throughout.

Overall, this was an enjoyable evening of theatre. Congratulations to Washington Theatre Group for their creativity, enthusiasm, and strong ensemble work. Well done to the entire cast, crew, and all involved in bringing Beauty and the Beast to the stage.

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