Thursday 12th December 2024 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, York
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Beauty and the Beast is of course a “tale as old as time”, but it gets quite a cheeky make-over in this panto production from the Grand Theatre and Opera House in York, offering plenty of laughs and a great night out for young and old(er) alike.
Penned by Jon Monie and directed by George Ure, this is the more adult-friendly brand of panto, favouring cheek and bawdiness over anything too totally wholesome (though it has its moments in that direction too). The usual staples are here: Belle, the Independent Woman leading the tale loves her papa and is plagued by the risible local heartthrob who just won’t take “yuck” for an answer. But there are of course panto-friendly revisions too, because what would panto be without a dame, a fairy and a fool to carry us along too?
Jennifer Caldwell is fabulous as Belle, bringing an edge and no-nonsense attitude alongside gorgeous vocals to the heroine, while Samuel Wyn-Morris impresses tenfold with incredibly powerful pipes. As the Beast, he is forceful and cantankerous but also brilliantly awkward, paving the way for snatches of great rom-com energy.
Dani Harmer is Fairy Bon Bon – lively and bouncy but not without an edge if you happen to be an irritating and pushy egomaniac like… Hugo Pompidou (translated as Gaston for the Disney fans). Hugo is played brilliantly by Phil Atkinson, who parades about the stage as a villain in the vein of the vainglorious Lord Farquaad (I checked his credits – he’s not done a stint in Shrek, but this show is a perfect audition) and never shies away from the cringiest of self-celebrating lines (or moves, for that matter).
Leon Craig steals the show as a dame for the history books in Polly La Plonk – daring, cheeky and larger than life, Craig brings all the right notes to the evening’s many comic highlights. Phil Reid is Louis La Plonk, son of Polly and resident fool, with enough energy to light the whole production solo. He’s a hoot (and at this performance a consummate professional, quick on his feet when things don’t go to plan). Meanwhile Belle’s papa, Clement, gets both warmth and surprising flashes of comic flair by David Alcock.
There are of course songs aplenty (Musical Director: Arlene McNaught) providing many highlights, whether simply vocally in the case of the leads, or in the fun-loving stakes, like a cracking sequence using music to categorise audience age groups…
Lighting design from Magnus Leslie, Choreography from Alex Codd and Scenery designs from John Harris, Jason Bishop and Ian Wilson ensure that the sights and sounds of this panto are bold and brassy, with costumes being an impressive cherry on the cake.
The defining feature of this panto is its love of a gag – whether it’s one liners, slapstick or gleeful corpsing among the cast, this feels like a really good time for all. Yes, there’s definitely a sense of illogical sequencing and anything-goes which might throw some (the Beast belting that Meatloaf anthem before he even claps eyes on Belle for instance, as a kind of premature theme tune), but hey, it’s Panto; we’re there for fun and giggles, and that is most definitely what this merry band deliver.
Beauty and the Beast is at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, York until January 5th 2025 – more information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 