PANTOMIME REVIEW: Beauty And The Beast - The Dukes, Lancaster.

Theatregoers expecting a "tale as old as time"… Be prepared to sample a very different kind of offering this year from Lancaster Duke’s in-house production team as the classic French fairy-tale gets a face-lift. From first stepping into the round, the smattering of flora and trestle-like festoons that adorned the walls hinted at a much earthier rendition of the family favourite. This was soon confirmed as the bustling, buffoonery of the 5-strong crack-team of clowning gardeners exploded onto the scene. Bubbling with an idiocy reminiscent of the watch in “Much Ado About Nothing”, they kickstarted the capers with a merry definition of what “Earth” actually is (clue: you won’t want it on your breakfast cereal!).

Minds captured (both old and young), the story took on a darker tone with Bella’s broken background providing most of the first half of the play; introducing her struggling mother, a father lost at sea, and a most charismatic, faithful companion and comic-relief provided in the form of her pet pooch, Nigel the Dog (WOOF!). This preamble into the forest-bound story we all love and know so well, was beautifully performed with artfully blended harmonies in each song and skilful performances from each member of the tightly knitted ensemble cast. However, the pace of the first half was at times a little sluggish for lovers of the more traditional tale, impatiently hoping to reach the more familiar territory of a beast, a stolen rose and the questionable but moreish love story of Stockholm-Syndrome-gone-right before the fall of the last petal.

Act two delivered the goods, plunging into the fantasy castle of old in a whirl of dancing dresses, invisible servants and the terrifying, smelly, beast! The action then split, switching back and forth between Bella’s enchanted imprisonment and her mother’s desperate search for her endangered daughter. Full props must go to Andrea Crewe, who gave a well-crafted and thoughtful performance as the flawed and very human character of “Mum” and provided a much-needed pinch of reality to a situation which, outside of a Disney story, would be most parents’ worst nightmare. In a similar vein, the writing by Daniel Bye, has clearly attempted to insert the very real and justifiably valid subjects of poverty and climate change into the tale but in my opinion this action fell short by some way by merely introducing the concepts of “Earth is life” and evidence of a poverty & greed stricken society without building upon that structure of thought by also providing the consequences of not caring for nature or suggesting how we each could improve our actions towards creating a more equal society. We can’t all marry a mysteriously rich stranger, and even if we did this action wouldn’t greatly affect the financial infrastructure of our fellow villagers in any positive way. So, one wonders why these themes have been lightly breathed into being and then as lightly brushed aside in favour of the magical and inevitable ending?  Though well-intended, the sprinkle of morality gets lost somewhere beneath the sparkling chandelier, and too neatly tied-up loose ends, to be of any persuasive use to its audience and their growth.

All in all, if you’re ready to try something new, giggle a lot, and gasp out loud (there’s a very large Mum-related plot-twist that I shall not spoil for you) then this is the take for you. Leave your preconceptions at home and follow the refreshingly outspoken heroine, Bella, as she sets out to save her Mum. And get ready for some heart-tugging bits!

Reviewer - Natalie Bowers
on - 10.12.21