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Beauty and the Beast
Redhill: The Harlequin Theatre

11 December 2009 to 03 January 2010

Linda Robson ("Birds of a Feather")
Herbie Adams
Christopher Marlowe
Abigail Welford
Jack Glanville
Nicholas Maude
Ben Palmer
Benjamin Curtis

Directed by Adrian Jeckells
Musical director Sean Jeffrey
Choreographed by Mark Hedges

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Reviews

A fine ensemble...fantastic

Graham Gurrin, The Stage - 14 December 2009

Linda Robson as Witch Hazel barely has to open her mouth to get the audience booing and hissing back. But the show is blessed with an extraordinary amount of comic talent. Nicholas Maude uses his whole body, not just his voice, to convey the smarmy village huntsman Gaston… Read more...

A playful and entertaining evening

Holly Thompson - 23 December 2009

The tale of a beautiful French woman falling in love with an ugly beast is one we have heard many times - but how does such a delicate love story translate to the camp and colourful world of panto?… Read more...

A fine ensemble...fantastic

Graham Gurrin, The Stage

14 December 2009

Linda Robson as Witch Hazel barely has to open her mouth to get the audience booing and hissing back. But the show is blessed with an extraordinary amount of comic talent. Nicholas Maude uses his whole body, not just his voice, to convey the smarmy village huntsman Gaston.

Jack Glanville (Pierre) has to work hard to get laughs out of the oldest gags in the book, but just about pulls it off. Herbie Adams does his best Mr Pastry for Professor Crackpot, and does it well. And the wonderful Christopher Marlowe performs Madame Fifi Camembert in ture pantomime style.

The show really does comes alive as the four of them take over the front of stage to sing a song about the reality TV stars they would like to be that works brilliantly and allows them to dispense with their first-night nerves.

Ben Palmer is good as the Count but even better as the Beast, with expressive movement and a marvellous singing voice. He is ably accompanied in duets by Abigail Welford as Beauty.

The singalong number is Spongebob Squarepants, but the children in the audience loved it. There is a strange interlude with the Woofamatic washing machine that doesn't seem to go anywhere, but the big production numbers and tableaux are done well, with good use of both the stage and of movement, thanks to a fine ensemble led by Benjamin Curtis and inventive choreography by Mark Hedges.

There is a fantastic finale, all black and white and sparkles.

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A playful and entertaining evening

Holly Thompson

23 December 2009

The tale of a beautiful French woman falling in love with an ugly beast is one we have heard many times - but how does such a delicate love story translate to the camp and colourful world of panto?

Well, very well actually.

Beauty and the Beast at The Harelquin had the entire audience up on its feet on its opening night.

Linda Robson, of Birds of a Feather fame, dazzles as Witch Hazel - the evil villain who transforms the arrogant Count into a Beast. She is forced to always talk in rhyme, which allows for many comic opportunities, and plays the villain well, encouraging boos and hisses en masse.

The leads, Abigail Welford who plays Beauty and Ben Palmer who plays the Beast, hold the performance togther well by singing popular hits by Leona Lewis and Westlife. And the dancers were brilliant at making the musical interludes exciting.

But it is Gaston (Nicholas Maude) and Professor Crackpot (Herbie Adams) who are the true stars of the show. Groin-thrusting Gaston, Beauty's admirer, captivates the audience with his strong clear voice and perfect comic timing. Whereas Professor Crackpot, Beauty's slightly senile father, has children laughing just from shuffling onto the stage with his manic eyebrows.

The performance is at its best when it deviates from the plot and becomes pure panto. Comic highlights include characters spitting water all over each other - to the shrieking delight of children - and a humorous interlude where Beauty's dog is shrunk in the Dog-o-matic washing machine.

The finale, a giant rendition of Spongebob Squarepats, where audience participation is demanded, is the perfect finishing touch to a playful and thoroughly entertaining evening.

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