King’s Head Theatre, London – until 6th January. Reviewed by Sabrina Fancy
5*****
Beauty and the Beast- An Absolute Delight!
Having previously attended the award-winning theatre company ‘Fat Rascal’s’ productions, I knew that I was in for a treat – and something out of the ordinary. Their latest production of Beauty and the Beast was just that.
This musical parody follows the story of Beauty and the Beast-but tells the tale from a feminist perspective. Gender roles are swapped, with the Beast being played by a female (Robyn Grant) and the ‘Beauty’ played by the handsome yet delicate bookworm Beau (Jamie Mawson). Will Beau able to see the Beast’s lovely personality beyond all that fur?
‘Gaston’ in the film was replaced by the strapping female ‘Chevonne’ (played by Katie Wells who is brilliant!) vying for the affections of Beau. It was nice to see an alpha female lead, as opposed to the submissive females that seem to dominate most fairy tales.
The cast of 5 and a live musician are young, fresh and very cheeky! They have an excellent synergy together and their comedic timing is perfect! All of the performers brought something unique to the production, playing several roles seamlessly and changing characters in an instant! They were all extremely talented individuals and I would love to see them working together again!
It is a big undertaking to create a panto in a fresh and sassy way, but award -winning producer Laura Elmes has managed this! There is really never a dull moment here! My companion who is not easily amused-was roaring with laughter throughout.
It is obvious that a lot of preparation went into putting this show together. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of songs that peppered the show. Many made a mockery of original Beauty and the Beast that some notable numbers were Chevonne (Instead of Gaston) ‘What would Jane Austen Do?’., Have a brunch (Parody of Be our Guest) and Eggs. You could not help laughing at the lyrics and the delivery of the musical numbers. It was also brilliant how social and political references were weaved in-in a subtle-yet deeply amusing way.
At the end of the show, the cast was treated to a well-deserved standing ovation! This is definitely a must see for a brilliant night out that leaves you happy-and energised!
This is a mad, hilarious and extremely clever production. It is far superior to many musicals I have seen on the West End! For this reason, I am giving Beauty and the Beast: A Musical Parody 5 stars and looking forward to seeing what shows Fat Rascals creates next!
Beauty and the Beast: A Musical Parody is on at the King’s Head Theatre, London, 11th December – 6th January.