Beauty & The Beast

It felt great to be back at PADOS house for their pantomime with this year’s choice, the much-loved tale of ‘Beauty & The Beast’. The 90’s Disney release of this title certainly shot the fairy-tale into the spotlight for our generation and only in recent years has the tale found a restored lease of life in its pantomime form.  

This version took elements from both the classic fairy-tale but also found inspiration from Disney’s tinkering’s with the title too. The script certainly ensured it avoided any problematic copyright issues though I’m not certain the song choices did. The location and setting of pantomimes often help to include a bold theme and offer interest with Aladdin traditionally in Old Peking (China), Dick Whittington - closer to home - in London and Beauty & The Beast, as was the case here, is commonly set in France.  

 

It quickly becomes apparent that there’s more similarities with Cinderella with this particular telling of the story. It’s usual for Beauty & The Beast pantomimes to feature Belle’s sisters who are chief facets in the original story and often presented as the comedy duo / fools in the panto. The two sisters in this version, named Chardonnay and Lambrini played by Amelia Newton-Butler and Roxane Burns respectively, were predominantly in the ugly sister’s zone with the way they were written and portrayed as they taunted their younger sister Belle and used her as their personal servant, providing lots of humour as comedy villains which does indeed work if you’re not too fussed about offering a story that resembles Cinderella more than anything else. Amelia and Roxane put in sterling performances, were very funny and offered mounds of energy which was terrific, I just wasn’t sure they should be so nasty… silly, foolish and comedic – absolutely, but villains who bully their younger sister who has the rags to riches story and later becomes a princess…?? May as well do Cinderella!

 

Dame Jolie was portrayed by Jack Forrest who offered a Dame greater than many professional ones I’ve seen. He’s a natural! The humour and comedic knack is en pointe with every nudge and wink firmly in place while still ensuring the kids get plenty to giggle at too. He’s brash without being too overbearing, he’s camp without it being overindulgent and he’s ridiculous without it being absurd – all difficult balances to get right but Jack evidently knows what he’s doing and we loved it!

 

Lisa Hartley is another who is a firm favourite at a PADOS pantomime, this time as Countess Cruella. Lisa just ‘gets’ it! She relishes every fibre of a panto villain and we loved to hate her, the perfect amount of silly and venom created her character which I adored. Billie Eyelash’s ‘Bad Guy’ was the cherry on top! Another principal here who’d outshine many on a professional panto stage!     

 

Jack Martin offered us Gaston – sorry, no! Not Gaston… it’s 'Jean Claude' (there’s that copyright avoidance!) he’s the local narcissist/heartthrob who all the town swoon for (except Belle of course!), so much fun was had here and the script really drew out the humour of this character as some of his punchlines were comedy gold … the whole interpretation was nothing less than absurd!   

 

Although this ensemble were evidently doing their utmost to sing and dance at the same time – it’s just impossible to give the punch required with such a tiny chorus. Did we get the desired impact from the company numbers? Not really. Would it not be possible for the other principals not on stage during those numbers to sing offstage / in the wings to help boost the sound?? It would really heighten the presentation to find some additional oomph for the company numbers.

 

The flow of the production kept going at a constant and comfortable pace. Panto needs to move quickly and be snappy but the delivery should not be rushed – quite the contradiction! However, Director Mark Rosenthal and his principals evidently understand this. Yes, the show was a little long for a panto but it seemed – to me – as though an over-exuberated script which could probably do with a good trim and revamp was the culprit here.      

 

I absolutely appreciated how the design from the set followed across to the shows publicity artwork, the shades of blue stained glass running throughout the artwork of the publicity and on the set was striking and shows an understanding of branding a production and marrying all areas together as one project which shows  how the committee and production team are all on the same page (that, or it may just be the same person who does everything - but either way…) it really works and shows how much love, care and thought has gone into the detail of the presentation to give us something so complete in its design and presence – many will say “no one will even notice” but some people really do, and those that do spot it really appreciate it!

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