Beauty and the Beast

It was an honour and a privilege to attend this wonderful production presented by Trinity Players.  From start to finish the enthusiasm was unbounded.

As we all know, the story centres around Belle, the girl from the village who wants adventure.  One day her father gets lost in the forest and he is imprisoned in a hidden castle.  Belle goes to find him and at the castle encounters the Beast who is under a spell. His servants are also trapped in the spell.  If Belle and the Beast fall in love with each other the spell is broken but will they.  All will be revealed. 

Belle was played by Sasha Barnes who made the part her own.  With wonderful singing and acting this role was made for her.  Playing The Beast was Matt Hunt.  Again, great singing and acting and he and Sasha worked so well together.  His rendition of ‘If I can’t Love Her’ was one of the outstanding numbers in the production.  Another outstanding number came from Bexs Perry as Mrs. Potts.  There was not a dry eye in the house when she sang ‘Beauty and the Beast’.  Standing out from the cast was Matthew Cotter as Lumiere.  How the audience loved his wonderful performance, how he kept his arms up during the show is beyond me.  One thing I could not believe was that this was the first ever show for Sam Jones as Gaston.  From that performance no one would have ever known he had never performed before.  Great support came from Richard McNally-Reilly (Lefou), Paul Westcott (Maurice), Amy Homer (Babette) and Gemma Parton as Madam De La Grande Bouche, wonderful voice.  Phil Lines played Cogsworth, again a great performance and that costume must have been so heavy.  Special mention must go to Aoife Davies as Chip, very talented.

Another of the highlights in this show was the entire company, led by Matthew as Lumiere in ‘Be our Guest’.  Wonder choreography by Leigh-Ann.  During the entire performance the ensemble worked well together, in fact you could tell that the entire cast were really enjoying themselves. 

One thing the audience did appreciate during the walkdown was the fact that at the back of the stage, the backstage crew came on and took their bows.  It was good to see them acknowledged. 

Costumes for this show were good, bright and colourful.  The music was well balanced, and every word could be heard from the stage.

Congratulations to Dan Barnes on directing such a show.  All your hard work has paid off. 

Thank you to the company for inviting myself and Karl and I look forward to seeing you in the very near future.

Paul Douglass Regional Representative District 9

It is always an honour to be invited by a society to a production in my role as Regional Councillor for NODA West Midlands, and this is particularly true at Trinity Players. The welcome from Dan Barnes, Chairman and Show Director, together with his Front of House team, is always wonderful.

Although I attended a different performance to Paul, it is evident that the high standard of performance I witnessed was replicated throughout the run. As always, Paul has perfectly captured the strengths of the principal cast in their respective roles. 

I would add that Matt Hunt’s portrayal of the Beast was, at times, gentler than in other interpretations, whilst still conveying the character’s short temper and frustration. I felt this was particularly suited to the role, ensuring that the Beast remained engaging without becoming overly frightening or intimidating.

Sasha was a true delight and embodied all the qualities of a Disney Princess, bringing tenderness, warmth, and sincerity to the role. As before, I completely agree with Paul’s comments regarding the rest of the cast, but I would like to give a special mention to Sam Jones as Gaston. For a first appearance on stage, this was an impressive performance. I suspect you have now caught the theatre bug, and we will certainly be seeing you again.

Furthermore, I could not agree more with Paul regarding the vocals. Alan Menken’s score is superb, and I was able to hear every word sung throughout the performance.

The choreography was exceptional. I particularly enjoyed the opening sequence, with its slow-motion dance before the spell was cast, as well as the larger ensemble numbers. As Paul mentioned, the costumes were excellent, both in their design and use of colour.

The set design and use of the performance space were inspiring, especially the incorporation of the flat floor area and the aisles. The stone-effect fountain was a wonderful feature and was used to great effect. The storming of the castle was particularly well staged, and I especially enjoyed the sight of one villager armed with a lobster! The furniture and props throughout were of a high standard, with the magnificent dining room chairs deserving special praise.

The lighting was excellent throughout. The transformation scene needed to feel magical, and it certainly achieved that goal.

Following the performance, I was delighted to join the cast on stage alongside the newly appointed First Citizen of Sutton Coldfield, Councillor Nitish Raut, Mayor of the Borough.

This was a truly family-friendly production. I am always pleased to see young people taking an active interest in theatre, as the future of our art form is, of course, in their hands.

A massive thank you to everyone at Trinity Players. I very much look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Andy Brown, Regional Councillor NODA West Midlands

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