PRINCES HALL THEATRE, ALDERSHOT – UNTIL 31 DECEMBER 2024
REVIEWED BY REBECCA SCOTT
4****
This show is sure to charm audiences of all ages. It’s a timeless story depicting that true beauty lies within…but with lots of pantomime magic added too!
The show tells the enchanting story of reserved Belle (Naomi Cowe) and the Prince Etienne (Matt Bond), where his greedy and vain ways has led him to being cursed by the evil sorceress (Melanie Masson). The Beast must find his true love, otherwise he will remain a monster forever. The story is narrated by a flirtatious Fairy Fantastique (Natalie Turner) in her wonderful French accent.
But let’s be honest…we go to pantomimes for the silliness and laughs. And this show delivers just that!
Seasoned performers and producer Robert Hopkins as Harry Kane (get it?), and Donovan Christian Cary as Sugar Kane, were a witty mother and son duo. These two lit up the stage and were so engaging with the audience. Cary’s outfits were outlandish and quirky too! They had no fear in mocking audience members and lapping up the laughs. I also loved that Masson was a glamourous sorceress, and she played off the audience’s boos and hisses really well.
Cowe and Bond have been well cast, and I was particularly impressed by Bond’s solo number. He has an exceptional voice! The scenes when something supposedly went wrong were well executed, and I loved that the show had lots of nostalgic jeers of ‘he’s behind you’ and ‘oh no it’s not’. It was joyful to be apart of, and my daughter who came with me loved these elements too.
I had two reservations, the first one being the story sometimes felt a bit confusing. Beauty and the Beast isn’t the easiest story to explain to young children, and my daughter would quite often ask me what was happening. The rose was a prominent feature on the stage, but only mentioned once. I also felt the ensemble was too big, which feels foolish to say because the bigger the better right? But having a big ensemble drowned out the main characters, and the dancing was a little amateur.
Huge kudos to the staging and lighting though! The change in scenes were seamless, and the set design gave that fairytale feel too.
I think it is important to remember that pantomime isn’t meant to be perfect! The mix of the characters, humour, dancing and singing will leave children feeling enchanted after this show. This pantomime really involved the audience, and you could tell from the amount of children shouting, stamping their feet, and clapping their hands, that it is a real treat for them. If you are looking for a festive family-friendly outing, then this show is right up your street!