Beauty And The Beast At The Victoria Theatre Halifax Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Kat Harrison

Going to a pantomime is way up there on my list of Christmas traditions so I wasn’t about to turn down the opportunity to review Beauty and the Beast at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax.

A panto is always going to be a fantastic festive treat for all the family, with content in there for the mums and dads and grannies and grandads, as well as the children. And this year, the kids are set to be mighty impressed with a flux of content most definitely aimed at them. With musical numbers from Wicked, Minecraft and K Pop Demon Hunters, and sketches that include the nonsensical 6-7 craze, a play on the Jet 2 advert and more than one reference to skibidee toilet, the youngsters will certainly feel included in the action.

If you’re after a storyline, this panto isn’t for you. I know the story of Beauty and the Beast but this wasn’t the focus of the two hours of action, the comedy capers were.

The cast all played their parts well, though I wanted a more villainous villain. It was the ensemble that made this panto shine with some fantastic choreography and dance skills on show. The costumes were amazing too and I lost count of the number of changes the panto dame had – I reckon she had her own ensemble of dressers backstage to pull it off! The over the top dress designs were absolutely perfect for the panto stage.

Whilst this traditional family pantomime has plenty of the expected slapstick comedy, I wanted more audience interaction and definitely missed the absence of an ‘it’s behind you’ / ghost gag / handy little bench scene, which is my most anticipated part of a panto. Where was it?! I’m pleased to say there was a slosh scene. Two in fact. One literally saw some super sloshing about on stage and the second, saw the adult members of the audience hiding behind their little ones as the cast drew their water pistols.

The panto is suitable for all ages – with jokes for everyone, provided best by Dame Madeline Marzipan and French Frank. This duo, played by Andrew Pollard and Matthew Allen is a slick one, and it was their smooth adlibs that really raised a roar. This production’s rendition of the 12 days of Christmas is one of the best ones I’ve seen with a clever hit of the unexpected. The energy in this scene was infectious and I wanted to inject it into other parts of the show.

This panto is colourful and well designed and my eyes would have been glued to the stage had it not been for the distraction of the lighting, which at times swept through the audience and blinded them.

This panto offers up the fun traditions you’d expect, with clever, modern twists thrown in making for a magical experience that the whole family will love.

Beauty and the Beast is at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax until January 4.

For more information about the show, the different times of performances for each day, the prices and to book tickets, visit www.victoriatheatre.co.uk/whats-on/beauty-and-beast or call the theatre box office on 01422 351158.

Rating: 3.5/5