I was really excited to be doing a review at my local
theatre after it’s multi-million pound refurbishment. The Fairfield Halls is a
major landmark in Croydon, South London. There has been major controversy over
the refurbishment and so the reopening, this year, has long been anticipated. 'Beauty And The Beast' is the first pantomine in Croydon for two years and it was
performed in the smaller Ashcroft theatre. Named after Dame Peggy Ashcroft, a Croydon-born actress of years gone by.
It was the lighthearted evening that I needed. This was
my first step into festivities, this year, and what better way than with a
family pantomime, here created by Imagine Theatre. We all know the story of
Beauty and the Beast, but this was a small part of the show, with a fantastic
Beast costume. The main part was also slapstick comedy and fun with Dick and
Dom who were the glue that held everything together. Their energy and interaction
with the audience was infectious and we enjoyed lots of adult jokes thrown in
that went over the children’s heads and it was this duo that kept the whole
show alive. There were lots of familiar favourite songs and the audience was
encouraged to sing and clap along. For the children there were so many of Dick
and Dom’s references to their bogies catchphrase and everyone was being
encouraged to repeatedly shout it out and we were even singing about bogies. The
audience was fully engaged throughout and participating in all the activities.
During the second half, children were waving glowsticks and brightly coloured
spinning lights; I thought I was at a fairground.
This was the first performance to a live audience and I think a few nerves were obvious at the
beginning, but as the show progressed, the performers found their stride and
settled down. The sound quality was not
great, but I’m sure they will sort that out quite quickly. At times it was hard
to clearly hear what the performers were saying, especially if there was music
playing at the same time. It was a treat to see Derek Griffiths playing Belle’s
father. You may remember Griffiths from the 1970's and '80's children’s TV shows and
more recently in Coronation Street and many West End Theatre shows. Danny
Whitehead has a fabulous singing voice and presence as the Beast, even though
we didn’t see his face very much, he has previously starred in a range of
worldwide theatre and London’s West End. Nic James, an English actor and
performer was our narcissistic pantomime villain and there always has to be
someone you love to hate. Unfortunately, at this time I cannot credit Belle or
the fairy as there is no current information available, nor any programme.
I think this is a pantomime that will get better and better with
each performance. For us adults in the know, it was filled with up-to-date
political jokes and innuendos which I’m sure would have to alter daily. There
were also many welcome references to Croydon, it's local areas and our famous
tram. If you have time over the next few
weeks take the family; panto is a Christmas tradition and this one is suitable
for all ages and backgrounds.
Reviewer - Penny Curran
on - 10.12.21
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