Writer: Eric Potts
Director: Richard Cheshire
Choreographer: Verity Bray
Musical Director: Clive Fishlock
Imagine Theatre are premiering their first production at Stafford Gatehouse this year, producing Beauty and the Beast, a title that is proving increasingly popular on the panto circuit. Under the watchful direction of Richard Cheshire, it’s another strong Gatehouse panto full of fantasy and fun.
Eric Potts’ plot is somewhat different from what you may expect. It’s not until midway through the first act that Enchantress Wendy transforms the Beast. The characters of servants are played by the emseble with David Phipps- Davis playing Dame Madeline Marzipan the Beast’s Cook and her son French Frank played my Sam Rhodes who shot to fame as part of the CBBC duo Sam and Mark. It’s both of those who know under the Enchantress’ spell Prince Pierre must learn to love or forever become the beast.
Potts’ plot works well to balance up all you’d expect from a panto, including double entedre and lighthearted hunour and contrasts that with the dark themes of Beauty and the Beast shown particularly well during the transformation of the beast.
The first act concluding as Belle meets the servants of the bests’ Chateaux means that the blossoming love story is a little absent in the first half, but equally Cheshire makes up for that by ensuring the opening of Act Two firmly centres on the pair growing close together.
Cheshire once again manages to keep a tight ship throughout – milking every element of comedy that can be made while not faltering from the story. A rendition of the 12 days of Christmas raises the roof, and lovers of a slosh scene won’t be disappointed.
Beauty and the Beast isn’t the first story you think of when you think of a panto dame, but David Phipps- Davis is a safe pair of hands playing Dame Madeline Marzipan. The front row can rest easy too that there’s no audience participation – although you may get wet!
Wendy Abrahams and Theo the Mouse are a cheeky duo that light up the stage. The jokes are mild enough for a family audience but cheeky enough to make the whole family laugh.
Mark Rhodes is a great cornerstone of the panto as French Frank. Rhodes’ charming and infectious charisma brings a huge sense of warmth to the show with a talented voice to match.
Jonathan Alden plays the beast, with his domineering tenor voice commanding the presence of a beast, which counteracts incredibly well to the sweetness of Celyn Cartwright’s Belle. It’s particularly great to see Cartwright’s Belle able to reflect a commanding and confident side to Belle at the end of the show.
It wouldn’t be a panto without a baddie, and Neil Moors is a pro at wrapping the audience in with boos playing the cocky Benedict Bourbon.
The beautiful set design comes from Imagine Theatre, adding a huge level of detail to each scene that seamlessly blends together, helped by the distraction of some clever lighting from Barry Smith to keep the pace high.
Completing the lineup is a great amount of musical numbers. Opening Act Two to Mr Bluesky raised the roof and It’s Time To Dance from the prom is a clever magical moment that acts as the pinnacle moment that Belle and the Beast dance together to form a pinning moment in this classic panto fairytale.
In many ways, this year, the Gatehouse panto is like a fine wine. It’s a firmly well-balanced traditional panto, full of fruity puns and an all-around feast of family fun complete with high energy musical numbers, a top quality set and a very talented cast to match.
| Value for Money Comments: |
| A top quality medium scale panto priced between £25.50 and £31 |
| Value for Money Comments: |
| A small but mighty cast pull off a reasonably priced panto priced between £12 and 30 with live streaming available for £20. |
| Value for Money Comments: |
| A small but mighty cast pull off a reasonably priced panto priced between £12 and 30 with live streaming available for £20. |
🎁This production was gifted in exchange for a fair and balanced review 🎁
The Theatre Twittic 
Leave a comment