Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and The Beast tries amicably to be your go-to Christmas night out, and with a captivating performance by Pete Firman as Silly Billy, it almost succeeds, but every rose has its thorns, and there are sadly one too many in this confused production.
From its opening number in which the ensemble appear to be miming (a dinosaur misstep) to its lowkey bows number, Beauty and the Beast feels like it’s scared to go full out, instead it re-treads the story of its Disney counterpart to a pedestrian degree and settles with only flirting with panto conventions.
For example, Ben Stock does a credible job as Dame Betty Boufant but feels criminally underused in a script which doesn’t give him the opportunities to stake his claim on proceedings. In act 1, he refers to a “scary time” in the forest, a scene we do not see, nor is it reprised. This missed opportunity is a perfect example of a show not fully going for its panto potential.
In fact, “there is only room for one dame” on this stage and that is Maureen Lipman in a performance which while suitably self-deprecating, felt like they were struggling with a script that didn’t know what to do with their character. . They do however bring graceful stage presence and will be sure to bring the nostalgia factor to proceedings.
As mentioned previously, Firman as Silly Billy truly elevates proceedings with his comic timing and ability to engage with an audience of young and old alike. Not only is he one of the UK’s leading comedians, but Firman is also an expert at sleight of hand magic and he blends this expertly with his character. I don’t want to give any of these genuinely impressive tricks away, but a moment where Billy sits at the front of the stage discussing his friendship with Belle whilst doing a magic trick with a balloon, is genuinely engaging. He also led a humorous audience sing along with the help of 4 children from the audience, and despite their lively personalities, he kept the routine on track expertly.
We also have fine vocals from Hope Dawe, Cherece Richards and Jason Leigh Winter as Belle, The Enchantress and Flash Harry respectively, but all were criminally underutilised. Richard’s is an engaging stage presence but sadly is given no material to engage with the audience, apart from a few verses of song, whilst Winter’s character is barely given the chance to force his villainous presence on proceedings.
Despite these major shortcomings, I can still see Beauty and the Beast appealing to families. The story follows the fairy tale closely enough and there are even nods to Lumiere and Cogsworth (a nice touch). We also get a variation of the iconic dance scene, a villain to boo and a sidekick to laugh at. I just wish this had more magic, instead it settles for “perfectly fine”.
This show was reviewed on the 11th December 2024 at the Richmond Theatre where it runs until the 5th January 2025. Tickets available here: Beauty and the Beast Tickets | Richmond Theatre in Greater London | ATG Tickets
Review written by Alex Farley
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Photo credit: Danny Kaan
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