I'm always excited when panto season comes back around –
it really is the most wonderful time of the year. There's nothing like an
evening of quirky, camp comedy to get you right into the festive spirit, and this
year's offering at Leeds City Varieties certainly ticks all the boxes.
'Beauty & The Beast: A Rock 'N' Roll Panto' tells the
same story we've all heard a thousand times before; a girl forced to live in a
castle with, who is seemingly a terrifying beast, in order to save her family,
all the while gradually falling head over heels in love for her fairy-tale
ending – when she finds out he's actually a dashing prince, cursed by a wicked
witch in order for him to learn that beauty isn't just skin deep. What it does,
though, is bring to the table so many over the top family fun ideas that Walt Disney
couldn't even dream of. It's what makes shows like this so difficult to review;
it's hard to find anything at all negative to say when you're having that much
fun.
From the offset, the classic panto audience participation
was there – friendly cast members greeting children in their seats and having a
right old natter with parents while the audience got themselves settled. It was
easy enough to spot them as they certainly stood out, as the costume design was just lovely; bright, bold colours and all the glitz and glam you
could wish for. And in true pantomime fashion each character was instantly
recognisable simply from their costume – the suave, well dressed prince, his
beautiful future princess, the glamorous fairy godmother and oh, the timeless
pantomime dame. The set design was beautiful too – as we were told in a classic
fourth wall break by our lovely dame, no expense was spared here. Beautifully
painted set pieces in bright colours with minimal detail added a cartoonish
detail to the entire production, and took me right back to my days of local
panto productions in primary school. A particular crowd favourite (especially
with the little ones) was Mucky Manor, Bessie's farm – complete with singing,
dancing chickens which got nothing but giggles from the children in the
audience.
Bessie BigBreaths really did live up to her well-earned
name and had the personality to match, and the fact that they didn't skimp out
in the costume department certainly made sure that this eccentric character
looked the part perfectly. For me, the classic and much loved pantomime dame is
always the stand out of the show, and Simon Nock as Dame Bessie absolutely did
not disappoint. Barely keeping the family show safely in the PG bracket but
definitely providing countless belly laughs for the adults in the audience,
Nock's larger than life dame was the absolute life and soul of the party from
beginning to end. Raucous and raunchy doesn't even begin to cover it, and the
audience participation here was absolutely peak (much to the dismay of poor Dan
in the front row of the audience.) I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a
stage show! The chemistry between Nock and Kenny Davies as Sir Peacock
Beauregard, the unfortunate token of her affections, was laughable in the best
possible way – likewise with Bessie and her loveable farmhand, Desperate Dan.
James William-Pattison was absolutely adorable as Dan, and really surprised me
with his vocals in his love-struck rendition of 'Somebody To Love'. He honestly
had me rooting for him over the Beast for the title of Beauty's new beau.
Grace Lancaster's timid yet determinedly doting Beauty
worked beautifully with the flooring presence that was Connor Mellor's
Beast – both had strong voices which made for some incredible harmonies, and
Lancaster's solos truly wouldn't be out of place in the West End.
My favourite element of the production was the multi-faceted,
multi-talented cast – each cast member would pick up an instrument to form a
magnificent on-stage live band for each number. It's enough that each cast
member performed their part so well, but to have such a cornucopia of talent on
stage was a real treat, and the music was incredible.
Overall, 'Beauty & The Beast' is the absolute perfect
family night out if you're looking for a fun family night out this festive
season – flashy pyrotechnics, not so flashy water pistols and an outrageously
good laugh, it's the best way I could think of to start your Christmas off with
a bang!
Reviewer - Hazel Kaye
on - 2.12.21
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