It’s an enormous operation, packed full of energy, enthusiasm and intergenerational family commitment. While last night’s audience needed no encouragement to clap along and boo the villains from the earliest moments of the first act, the cast were having at least as much fun on stage. With two actors covering each principal role across the 21 performances, and three sets of alternating young choruses, there have been upwards of 120 people rehearsing the dialogue, songs and choreography, and oodles more working backstage. It’s a real labour of love and a dedication to drama, particularly for director Jessie McGreevy and those behind the scenes who need to be at the theatre for every performance and only get three days off over the next couple of weeks.
Alan P Frayn’s script is driven forward by the poetic narration by Flora Fairy (Sinead Fox-Hamilton at the performance I attended) and her evil opposite number Bella Donna (Mairead McAvoy who was lapping up the audience boos). The wonderful pairing’s second act sing-off properly promotes them from storytellers to being the pivotal good and evil influencers of the narrative.
The plot involves a Prince who is turned into a beast, a father who is kidnapped and exchanged for a daughter, a couple of beauty experts who have their work cut out with two sisters (Britney and Whitney), while a third (Belle) enjoys going au naturel but still has to rebuff the advances of a narcissistic Meat Loaf lookalike lad. And let’s not forget the housekeeper (the pantomime dame), his fun-loving son, and an Elvis impersonator.
Audience familiarity with the large cast is greatly assisted by the number of characters involved in each scene. Lots of classic pop hits – Taylor Swift’s Bad Blood, Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like a Woman!, Greatest Showman’s Rewrite the Stars, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, and a finale fuelled by a One Direction triple megamix – along with a few numbers borrowed from the Disney adaptation give the principle cast members and the animated ensemble a chance to shine.
Nikita White is vocally strong as Belle, a character who consistently knows her own mind and never simply goes along with what men ask her to do. Her Prince, played by Joseph Quinn, becomes a rather overbearing and domineering Beast. Amélie Euler and Rachel McGarry invest stacks of attitude, broad accents, malice and synchronised gestures in sisters Britney and Whitney, and quickly become stars of the show every time they appear on stage. While Robert McGregor manages to repeatedly insult the audience as Madame Fifi – the pantomime’s dame – no one could possibly be offended. His comedy sidekick Alex McKelvey playing Jacques (“with an ‘S’ though there’s only one of him!”) also has gags rolling off his tongue and delighting the willing crowd.
Part of the charm of a production like this come from the moments when a bunch of tiny children race onto the stage from the wings for the larger ensemble numbers. Their faces are full of joy mixed with a little bewilderment. Tonight was this group’s first performance in front of an audience, a big step up from their calmer dress rehearsal. However, by the end of the run the youngest cast members will no doubt be enjoying every minute of the show as much as the old hands standing behind them. Choreographer Matthew Watson has made good use of the two-level set, while Wilson Shields and his small band of merry men
The story is well told, the performances are full of passion, and the audience is close to the action and very invested in the show. Beauty and the Beast continues in the Belvoir Studio Theatre until Saturday 6 January. There are a handful of tickets left for performances before Christmas, with better availability later in the run.
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