Beauty And The Beast At The Dukes, Lancaster Review

Reviewed by Cath Joyce

Our family are real fans of The Dukes, the theatre in the centre of Lancaster, which specialises in bringing something a little different to the stage. We have seen many of their Christmas productions over the last few years and I was really pleased when we were invited to see their latest Christmas show, Beauty & The Beast.

As we have come to expect from the creative team at The Dukes, this production brings a modern twist to the traditional story of Beauty and the Beast. Originally written in 1740, the story of Beauty & The Beast is a classic tale of love, judgment, and moral teachings. Daniel Bye has skilfully retold the story and we first meet the cast in a garden where gardeners are working hard and putting fertilizer on the soil. The opening scene has lots of references to “poo” which, as you can imagine had all the children in stitches and was a great way to start the night.

The play is about Bella and her mother, who have recently moved to the country after her father’s ship disappeared. Bella’s mother is convinced he is still alive and keeps returning to the city, spending money they can ill afford, on searching for her husband. Near their farm is a forest but all the locals avoid going into the forest, fearing tales of the mysterious beast that lurks within. One night on her way back from the city, Bella’s Mum ignores the warnings and enters the forest to take shelter from the rain and there she comes across the Beast resulting in terrible consequences!

With a cast of just five, the play was performed with only a handful of props. With swift costume changes and plenty of humour the cast really were amazing and the amount of comic and musical talent on show is simply wonderful. It is difficult to pick out a favourite, but we all agreed Tarek Slater, playing the Beast, really looked the part and you cannot hope for better comedic delivery than that shown by him in his other role as the family dog! Ida Regan in her professional theatre debut has a beautiful voice and was perfectly cast as Bella. Lisa Howard pulls the story together and was great at getting the audience involved in the show.

The play is set in The Round theatre, which is a lovely setting for the production as all the audience are very close to the action. The whole performance was so much fun to watch, the atmosphere within the theatre was fantastic and all the children (and adults) were completely absorbed from start to finish. The show is suitable for young and old and is family entertainment at its best. The energy and enthusiasm of all the cast, along with the excellent music and choreography mean this year’s production is the perfect festive treat for families.

The Dukes is easy to find, situated close to the centre of Lancaster with plenty of parking nearby. Beauty and the Beast is playing until Friday 31st December,

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tickets cost from £16

For more information or to book tickets please visit https://dukeslancaster.org/ or call the box office on 01254 598500