I had the pleasure of watching Dreamworld Entertainment’s ‘Beauty And The Beast’ at the Gladstone Theatre, in Port Sunlight. It really is a tale as old as time and this production had the audience laughing and dancing on their feet; whisking them away with an enchanted tale of love and beauty, which can be found within. This light hearted pantomime was written by Fortina Stone and produced by both Jamie-Leigh Christian and Laura Newnes.
'Beauty And The Beast' is a well-known and popular story that we know so well and this production did not disappoint. Including traditional panto favourites such as an Enchantress of the Rose (Jenna Sian O’Hara), a Dame (Shania Pain), a villain (Darren John Langford), and a sweet sidekick (Lenny Wood). With a unique twist and adapted storyline, Dreamworld Entertainment brought fun and laughter into the Gladstone theatre once again.
Melissa Weston gave a wonderful performance as Belle and showed great leading lady qualities. Conor Barrier as the Beast showcased his true talents on stage, I enjoyed watching him move with the dancers and perform in the ’12 Days Of Christmas’. This talented pair worked well together and looked beautiful at the ball.
The costumes for this production were colourful and eye-catching and matched the characters' personalities well. Belle’s iconic costumes - the simple blue day dress and her magical golden ball gown, did not disappoint. The audience audibly gasped when Belle appeared in her ball gown, and it looked fantastic twirling around the dance floor. The Beast’s transformation at the beginning of the show was cleverly achieved with lighting effects and set the bar high from the rest of the production. I was however disappointed with how the Beast returned to his natural form as it lost its magical effect.
The lighting added brilliance to the production with seamless scene transitions and was truly light art at its best. Nathan Storm’s lighting design was creative and had maximum effect making a powerful contribution to the rhythm of the production. The light truly danced with the dancers and was perfectly operated by Laurence Noble. The lighting had a choreography that matched what was happening on stage. It went way beyond the basic functions of light. With a range of special effects and magical touches that drew the audience in and added a bit of sparkle that you can only really find on the stage.
The Enchantress of the Rose was a character who was loved by the audience. O’Hara had great stage presence and narrated the story with talent and enthusiasm. She used great facial expressions to keep the audience engaged, although at times she was hard to hear. With a few wig malfunctions, O’Hara used her moustache when playing Papa Gerard to add to the comedy of the production.
A shout-out has to be made to Pain who played the Dame, Mrs Potter. Pain gave an outstanding performance that had the audience roaring with laughter and wanting more. Pain is a comical genius, with lines perfectly timed to create maximum effect with the audience. Alongside the great facial expressions, we saw many musical talents put on display. Outstanding!
The music for this production was entertaining, featuring iconic songs such as; ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’, This Is Me’ and ‘I’m Still Standing’. The audience could not help but clap along. The direction by Newnes was cleverly done and the stage was used to maximum effect. Newnes had excellent casting choices here, as the talent on the stage was exceptional. The old-style panto call-backs were great fun and had the audience following along. There were a few timing issues with some comical lines but this can vary depending on the audience.
The choreography by Christian had some good sections and included some striking lifts and tricks. The movement for this production was fun and the audience members enjoyed recognising the well-known TikTok moves. I feel the dance ability on the stage was capable of a lot more and I feel the choreography didn’t allow for the cast to showcase their capabilities. At times I felt the movement was repeated in different routines, making it seem repetitive and less effective. I thought Christian utilised the stage well and it was great to see audience participation on stage; with children dancing alongside the cast.
The Ensemble on stage was fun and energetic drawing the audience’s eyes adding passion and magic to the stage. Alex Patmore and Cole Porter were exceptional and their performance skills were spectacular. Mia Molloy also drew my eye with her outstanding stage presence. I was delighted to watch the brilliant children in Red Team as they danced, giving it everything they had. They gave a dazzling performance with each step perfectly executed. Well done to Ada-Grace Jones from Blue Team for standing in and for the whole cast for adapting so quickly to last minute changes.
With children arriving in their Belle dresses ready for the ball they were not disappointed but were overjoyed with the talent and magic on stage. Dreamworld Entertainment’s ‘Beauty And The Beast’ was a lovely production. The beautiful costumes, magical lighting effects and enjoyable songs made it an enchanting experience, as a brand new way to experience the tale as old as time. Well done to everyone involved!
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