Beauty & the Beast

The main tabs opened to reveal yet another wonderful pantomime set - you really do create the most impressive scenery of any pantomime I’ve seen.  A good opening song and a large cast sang ‘Colour My World’ and my, was it colourful! Costumes were glitzy and striking, another aspect of your pantomimes at which you excel. There could have been a few more smiles though.

Emily Manley was lovely as Belle – she also picked up the pace when it was needed and is an all-round good performer.  Her reaction seeing the Prince was very understated.  I liked the way the Prince/Beast situation  was managed – I don’t know if it’s usually shared as a role but it worked, and Steve Smith’s physical stature made more of a frightening beast than Nia Fuller’s would have done - and then there’s the voice too. The Beast mask was suitably scary and effective.  Steve suited the part well and toward the end there were some very touching moments as he starts to be gentler with Belle and she realises her unexpected feelings for him.

The Prince was quite a small part for but Nia Fuller made a positive impression when she was on stage.   Madame Fifi  played by Mike Davenport was good, his height always adds some comedy to the role of Dame,  and the duet with Fairy Flora was nicely sung. Thomas Manley made a relaxed and very amusing Monsieur Le Sparkle. He really does sparkle on stage!

Luke Pulfer gave an enjoyable performance as the arrogant and narcissistic Gustave, who despite wanting Belle ended up with the two sisters, and as Jacques, Dylan Harvey acquitted himself well.   Marcel and Monique, wearing wonderful pink costumes, added much to the comedy and Ellen-Marie Ruby’s estuary accent and characterisation was superb, also Craig Entwistle’s camp hairdresser.

The two sisters Esmeralda and Ermengarde, who had  roles similar to the ugly sister characters in Cinderella, were played strongly by both Affy Hariss - whose diction is always superb- and Rachel Barnes.  Neale’s dialogue was also loud and clear and he made a good Alphonse, father of Belle, brought to the castle as a prisoner by Le Fou.

Peter Kent looked very much the mad professor and acted well in that role.

Witch Belladonna wasn’t as frightening as she might have been, but Rosalyn Young had a good stab at being the baddie of the piece.   Her counterpart Fairy Flora was a smaller role than usual, but she had good presence, Patra Skoumbourdis spoke clearly and looked pretty.

Act Two started with ‘If I were not upon the stage’ and it was the highlight of the evening! It was hilariously funny and so very well acted by those taking part. I laughed so much that tears ran down my cheeks!

The enacting of the story by Belladonna and The Prince whilst the beast tells the story to Fifi was really good.

There were many other characters on stage and as usual they all added to the overall presentation and enjoyment of the pantomime.

Make up was fine, costumes, as I commented earlier, were superb and the props were suitable.

The singing has improved considerably over the years I’ve been attending your productions and I liked the choice of music and the renditions of the numbers.

The technical team was competent and the abrupt endings to the music, which I know I’ve commented on many times before, was much less apparent, in fact barely noticeable.

Looking back over your pantomimes it is good to see that there are new names added to the well-known ones which is great for the society. You have a thriving youth section, some of whom I’m sure will come up into the adult section as they mature.  A good evening's entertainment for all the family.

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