Don’t let the simple staging fool you - or don’t judge a book by its cover as Belle would say - filled with songs, audience interaction, colourful costumes, lively performances, and a large helping of silly jokes, this panto has everything you could hope for in a family pantomime.
Unsurprisingly, the stars of the show are the hard-working actors - with just six in number, they have a task on their hands to fill the stage at the Fisher Theatre, but they rise to the challenge with ease.
Leading from the front is Eloise Cubbin, who makes a fantastic Belle, perfectly capturing the character and her innocent charm. She's not like the meek fairytale princesses that are thankfully being consigned to the past, Eloise instead shows a tougher side to the character, standing her ground and not allowing the Beast to think it's ok to shout at her. She introduces us into the story with a carefully measured reading of the backstory leading us to the now of the show.
Callan Durrant is superb as the egotistical Bouffant, oozing with slimy charisma and impressively smooth moves in his dances and songs - and his quips are brilliantly timed. His character is given a nice redemption arc in the second half, showing that it's not too late to turn over a new leaf.
As household cleaner, Dusty Buster, Rachael Cummins makes an impressive REDuck debut, easily winning the affections of the audience with her daft jokes and huge energy. Her pairing with the brilliant Leighton Melville as Dame Sauce Potts is a joy. He keeps his delightful Welsh twang throughout the show adding to his spirited character.
Gillian Dean plays well with the dual role of evil sorceress Grimalkin and Belle's mother Maureen - the latter getting a lion's share of jokes and gags, the former really earning her boos. The dashing Joshua Gould brings an unexpectedly playful, and vulnerable energy to the Beast once you get beyond his bellowing in a delightful performance.
The script by Hayley Evenett is nicely rounded, keeping much of the traditional narrative, but giving the characters modern sensibilities and ideals. And of course it's packed full of daft gags, which is endlessly pleasing.
Sure, there's bigger, more spectacular productions out there, but being at a special venue, and with an utterly charming company, you'll do well to find a better family panto than this. Beauty & the Beast continues at the Fisher Theatre in Bungay until the 31st Dec. There's limited tickets left, so do be quick!
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