I appreciate that Easter was quite a few weeks ago now but last Wednesday I just really didn’t feel like blogging and I enjoyed this show so much that it seems a real shame to not write about this production. Plus the same company does a Christmas panto too and they’re already booking for next years Easter panto so I really have no excuse to not write this post.
To be truthfully honest, when I booked this show I was expecting very little from it, especially when I hadn’t ever heard of Beauty And The Beast being a panto before and it just seemed insane doing a pantomime at Easter! I admit that its been a ridiculously long time since I saw a local production of something and even the last time I saw a pantomime it was at the London Palladium, I’m ashamed to admit that I’d become a little bit of a “oh I saw that in the West End” kind of theatre person that I’d be neglecting gems of shows like this one that come to the theatre 5 minutes away from my house.
I have never laughed as much at a show or pantomime – ever! This show was a laugh a minute from the start to the end, and you know what? Despite my reservations about Beauty And The Beast as a panto, it somehow really worked and I would absolutely go and see it as a panto again. I’d forgotten just how good smaller pantomimes are. The larger productions I’ve been to see in recent years are just to slick and polished whereas this performance had the anything can happen (and does happen) charm about it that makes panto so good. Actors slipping out of character and laughing themselves, or something being thrown on stage that shouldn’t be or even props malfunctioning, every little thing like that is exactly what makes pantomimes good. I sat pretty much crying with laughter at some parts and well, isn’t that exactly what you expect from a pantomime?
The cast even had a celebrity cast featuring the likes of Kerry Katona from Atomic Kitten fame and even Basil Brush! I think most people in that audience would be aware of someone in the cast. Each person in the cast was fantastic and I would jump at the chance to see the entire cast / show again if I could.
The fact that the pantomime was at Easter wasn’t an issue either, I genuinely don’t know why this isn’t a permanent tradition as it didn’t feel odd in the slightest to be seeing it once the show had started. When I told people what I was going to see, everyone had the same confused ‘but its not Christmas’ reaction but don’t let this put you off. Maybe it helped that Beauty And The Beast was one I’d never known to be a pantomime so it just seemed perfectly normal to be seeing it.
I absolutely loved this show and I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for it coming to my local area again, it really is a fun filled show that everyone in the entire family will love. It was relatively cheap too which was a nice bonus!
If you click here it will send you to the shows Facebook page where you will be able to get more details about the future productions they’re doing. If they’re coming to your local area I can only recommend getting tickets – you will not regret it!
melissay 