Beauty and the Beast is magical, fantastical and a great story for a pantomime script.
The central idea requires the heroine to fall in love with a monster before he is revealed as the handsome prince. We therefore need to believe in a genuine relationship which develops during the show.
All the productions that I have seen have met this challenge wonderfully well and I have always been delighted by the way this developing relationship can transfix the audience. Amidst all the laughter, their attention suddenly focuses upon the two actors on stage and goes completely silent - and that always feels very special.
A good panto script transports the audience to another world and Beauty & the Beast not only takes us across the channel to France, but also to an Enchanted Castle, where Pictures, Clocks and even the Furniture can talk. This magical world is great fun. It can also be very charming and offers wonderful opportunities for inventive costume making – and even more importantly, wonderful opportunities for younger performers. A great way to involve the whole community!
I always try to make sure that the Dame’s character is properly tied into the heart of the story – and consequently, into the heart of the comedy – and so, in this version, she’s Beauty’s big-hearted mum.
It’s her who picks the rose which leads to the fateful encounter with the Beast – and after Beauty has gone to live at the Beast’s Castle, it’s her who must lead the hilarious quest to try and get her back again. Of course, not everything goes completely to plan… but, spoiler alert, there is a happy ending.
Last, but definitely not least, the other BIG thing about Beauty and the Beast is - Felix.
Felix is a lippy French poodle who believes that the whole story is almost entirely about him. Of course, he’s completely wrong, but the audience always love him. He’s cocky, vulnerable and very human, but ultimately he’s a dog and this lack of status is often a problem for him. But hey – why should he worry? He always steals the show!