Beauty and the Beast at Theatre Royal St Helens Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Rebecca Wong
It’s February half-term which means two things: 1) it’s time to work extra hard at entertaining the kids and finding things to do and 2) St. Helens Theatre Royal to the rescue! This February Regal Entertainments Ltd is bringing us their production of Beauty and the Beast. Running from 17th to 23rd February, so there is still plenty of time to book. St. Helens Theatre have spread their usual fun and magic spell over a well-known and beloved story.
In the show we follow Belle (Lauren McCrory), the most beautiful girl in the village who is being shamelessly and relentlessly chased by the vain and arrogant Gaston (Conor Barrie). Gaston plans to marry Belle no matter what. With his evil mother Madame Botox (Rachael Wood) at his side, pushing him every step of the way. The pair will stop at nothing to get what they want, including turning our handsome prince into a beast (Lewis Burrage). But Belle is far too sweet to allow the beast’s scary looks to put her off and they fall in love. With the magical help of Fairy Tik Tok (Chantelle Morgan) – because every good panto needs a fairy – will the pair find a way to overcome all the obstacles put in their way by the twisted Madame Botox and her selfish son……
The story is of course accompanied by our comical pair Potty Polly (Richard Aucott) and French Frank (Lewis Devine). The pair kept the audience in stitches throughout with their antics including quite a few jokes for the grown-up’s thrown in. There really is something for everyone. Lewis Devine is a favourite at St Helens theatre seamlessly bringing the crowd into the story with him and giving us a giggle a minute. The kids just adore him!
I love the alternative take on the story, the costumes were a particular favourite of my daughter and both her and her friend absolutely rocked with the TikTok songs and dances – a great touch that got the kids moving and dancing. A particular highlight for me was Madam Botox, what a fun character with such an impressive voice – look out for the appearance of a well-known Wicked song and I challenge you not to be in awe of that voice!
The set design was bright, colourful and fun. The dancers and music were a great mix of more classic songs for us oldies and lots of modern hits for the kids. The atmosphere within the theatre was buzzing thanks to the high-every production and constant laughs, it was hard not to be carried away with the clapping, shouting and booing that makes a panto so great!
St Helens Theatre Royal is a fabulous place for families, it’s always welcoming, accessible and with great friendly staff. The theatre itself is easy to get to with parking close by and very close to the local train and bus stations. Tickets cost from £16 with concessions available at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com. This is a must-see for Easter and a great family experience with something for all ages, I give it a 5/5. Don’t delay, book on today!
Rating: 5/5