Beauty and the Beast, which is written by Sidonie Welton and Brad Tutt, is a new adaption of the well known and beloved tale. Whilst this production does include the kind hearted but grumpy Beast and the book-loving and compassion Belle, this musical strays in its own new direction. However, sometimes when a tale is as old as time, it may be better to leave it as such.
Beauty and the Beast sees Belle (Louise Cielecki) promised to the Beast (Ed Tunningley) by her father (Tony Mooney) to clear his debt of thievery, but the show comes into its own following this initial foundation. Belle is a welcome addition to the otherwise empty castle, joining the Beast and friendly spirits. Belle, now the eldest of three sisters, is a brave and bold young woman who decides to make the best of her new living situation, whilst worrying about her younger sisters Coco (Lucy May Carpenter) and Chanel (Inés Ruiz). CoCo, her awful step sister, is preoccupied with her upcoming wedding to Hugo (Michaela Murphy) and her cunning plots create trouble for the Beast and Belle.
Directed by James Haddrell, Beauty and the Beast features a talented company of actor-musicians, incorporating musical instruments playing into their character's plots. A prime example includes a hilarious if random musical instrument stand off between the Beast and Hugo, instead of a traditional sword duel. This is an exciting new aspect to this production and works well for the most part, but does hinder having a strong musical score that utilises the entire band.
The cast perform as well as they can with the given script, falling into their archetypal characters. The characterisations are unexpectedly unlikeable, losing the charm of the story. Belle is bolder but uses her newfound bravery to torment the anguished Beast, Hugo and CoCo are awfully self-obsessed and manipulative, and the Beast insists Belle to cook and clean for the entire castle. The youngest sister, Chanel, however is comparatively delightful, looking out for her family.
Tunningley as the Beast is charming and commits to the role with an awkward stammer and fierce growls. Vocally gifted and expressive, Tunningley manages to evoke sympathy and adoration for the Beast through his portrayal. Cielecki delivers an energetic and friendly performance as Belle and is particularly tender during a wonderful solo song in the library as she reflects on her family.
Ruiz and Carpenter as the sisters are entertaining additions to the cast. Carpenter takes in it her stride to villianify CoCo with an exaggeration performance that has the audience frequently boo-ing her. Ruiz particularly shines in her musical abilities and accuracy of portraying a young child. Murphy and Mooney bring an additional layer of comedy to the show, particularly with Mooney playing multiple varied roles and often breaking the fourth wall. Murphy is hilarious as Hugo, capturing the swagger and fumbling mannerisms perfectly.
The first act fares much better than the second, engaging and interacting with the young audience and spreading the magic of the spirits around the theatre. The characters invite young audiences members to shout out solutions, cheer and clap along to songs. A lucky front row child was even given a balloon dog. The musical is literally an explosion of colourful confetti, peppy songs, party tricks and a nod at the infamous Disney ballroom dance in the library.
The second half is much more self-contained and endlessly confusing and messy, with the inclusion of several characters at a masquerade ball, each with their own complicated motives. Poised to start with the dramatic masquerade ball, the second act loses the little momentum it had garnered in the first half. This is acknowledged by a character asking audiences if they were able to understand the plot and following the shy "No", proceeding to explain it all in simpler terms. The musical had doubtlessly aimed for this to be an amusing jab at itself, yet feels like an easy way to write off the majority of the second act.
The songs were pleasant but not really memorable, apart from a touching duet by Belle and the Beast in the library, where the two finally connect. Composed by David Haller, with musical direction by Michaela Murphy, the songs are fun and enjoyable. Another musical stand out is "#Blessed" performed by CoCo and Hugo. Although not an issue with the production itself, the actors were not mic-ed, which lead to missing a fair portions of the lyrics during songs.
Costumes (Alex Milledge) are minimalistic, with Hugo, CoCo and Chanel looking considerably similar in shirts and trousers, using scarves to add personality. The Beast is given a long cape and mask, whilst Belle is dressed in a gentle yellow. The set (Alex Milledge) features a tiered platform that helps differentiate scenes and locations. Adorned with light bulbs, frames and suspended books, the set creatively incorporates the musical well into a simplistic design.
Beauty and the Beast is a pleasant and enjoyable musical for younger audiences, using pantomime elements of audience interaction to entertain. Colourful and funny, younger audiences will be engaged and delighted by this musical. Beauty and the Beast is currently playing at the Greenwich Theatre until 25th August - for tickets and more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️ (2*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Danny Kaan
Comments