Beauty & The Beast

This is one of the group of “fairy tale” type pantomimes, popular with modern audiences, who know the story from animated films. However, the French origins of this beautiful legend are preserved and appear neatly combined with aspects of the more familiar modern version. “Beauty and the Beast” is unique as a pantomime in that it is the heroine, a feisty Beauty, who resists the advances of the odious Count Danton and instead sets out on a dangerous adventure to rescue her father. Meanwhile, the eventual hero spends most of the show in a hideous, hairy mask! The comedy is carried by the Beast’s Cook Dame Dora Jarre, her stupid helper Loopy Louis, and Danton’s useless sidekick Fat French Franc. There is much humour, lots of audience participation. But it is the developing romantic relationship between the two title roles – from fear to friendship, to true love – that enthrals the audience.