Beauty and the Beast

After a TV talent competition has been won by a dog, it was perhaps to be expected that one of the leading characters would appear in the disguise of a poodle, complete with floppy ears and furry paws. But Ryan Stocks needed no house training as he had us all on his side within a few minutes of his first appearance as Felix, surely a somewhat inappropriate name for a dog. In spite of a distinct shortage of men, the Group gave us a very entertaining performance and I was particularly impressed by young Tim Bodey as Jacques. Audrey Hewson made an impressive “Ma”, at one stage disguising herself as a man in a reversal of the usual pantomime tradition, this certainly not being the Disney/Menken version of the story with which we have become familiar. Vicky Walker made a suitably awesome wicked witch until a bit of magic which went wrong converted her into a mate for our canine friend.  Credit must also go to her for her assistance to the Producer and for the choreography, a ghostly ballet being particularly memorable.

Pantomime is always considered an excellent vehicle with which to introduce children to the pleasures of the theatre but this is usually as members of the audience. In this case, however, a large number of youngsters were given the opportunity of performing on stage and I do hope that they will continue to enjoy the experience for many years to come by supporting this group and/or some of the others in the area, rather than following what seems to be the current trend of seeking celebrity status via a TV show. After all, you might be beaten by a dog!       

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