Beauty & The Beast at The Capitol Horsham Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
We love a show at The Capitol in Horsham, the seats are soft and comfortable, more like a cinema than a theatre and it’s a fairly small auditorium compared to some others, so it has an intimate feeling with a fabulous view from every seat. We find snacks and drinks to be reasonably priced, especially the half time ice cream, and the bar well staffed, so the typical interval queues get dealt with very quickly. Should you arrive early there is also a small café area. Both areas have plenty of comfy seating.
Although there isn’t any specific parking for the theatre there are plenty of car parks within a 5 minute walk and one right opposite, which can be used evenings and weekends. It was easy to park, and as it is free after 8pm, you just need to pay a reasonable charge for the remaining 90 minutes.
It was a miserable & wet night when we arrived at The Capitol, for the performance of this year’s pantomime, Beauty & The Beast, but that didn’t seem to have dampened anyone’s enthusiasm as you literally couldn’t move for excited children. Everyone loves a pantomime, and it was fabulous to see so many happy families queuing to get into what looked like an almost full house.
This performance of Beauty & The Beast is directed by Julie Atherton, well known for leading roles in Mamma Mia! And Avenue Q, so we were expecting great things and we were not disappointed, from great acting, singing, dancing and gags the show had it all
The performance follows the traditional love story of Beauty & the Beast, with the arrogant Prince soon cursed and turned into a hideous beast, he just needs the kiss from a true love to break the spell. So, the story unfolds in classic panto style with a few modern interpretations such as animated screens between set changes which bring it bang up to date.
The story is set in France and the fabulous background sets bring the story alive as the cast sing and dance their way through the arrival of the Noble Prince aka The Fearsome beast (Chris Jenkins), the Princes Butler Fromage (James Camp) and his lady in waiting Madame Dubonnet (Alison Arnopp).
After a heart warming performance from the Beast, where Chris really brings his West End credentials to life, the pace changes up with the arrival of beautiful Princess Belle (Lizzie Emery) and her pantomime dame mother, Dame Susie Saucisson (Justin Brett). Bringing slapstick comedy routines and some amazing outfits to every scene, Dame Susie along with her comedic partner Pickle (Mike Slader) add that pantomime banter we know and love.
It has to be said though, that the star of the show is Captain Gastoff. Played by John Partridge and originally of BBC’s Eastenders fame, playing the role of Christian Clarke for several years, he has also had a fabulous theatre career, currently playing Hugo/Loco in the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the West End. His 2018 Masterchef win and stint on Celebrity Big Brother become the butt of several jokes as do his length away from Eastenders, but it’s the combination of his gags, singing, dancing and stage presence that steal the show. He is entrancing to watch.
Pickle compares the show to great effect with plenty of audience sing a longs, but Damie Susie and Gasthoff also have brilliantly funny audience participation scenes which had us crying with laughter.
We left the auditorium saying that the performance of Beauty & The Beast was way more than an ordinary panto, yes it had the traditional story and characters backed with humour, but it also had fantastic singers and music with cast performances of a standard more like a larger theatre production.
Starting at 7pm it was the perfect timing too as it finished around 9.20pm, late but not too late for a treat for most children.
We spent a great couple of hours watching the show and like every other person in there we came out with great big smiles on our faces. Brilliantly uplifting and super fun, with lots of one liners and current newsworthy gags, I highly recommend Beauty & the Beast. Get your tickets soon as the show is selling out fast with lots of dates already sold out.
Highly recommended – 5 out of 5
Tickets cost from £26-30
Beauty & The Beast is at The Capitol Theatre, Horsham from Friday 8th December to Sunday 31st December, for more information or to book tickets visit: https://www.thecapitolhorsham.com/whats-on/all-shows/beauty-and-the-beast/20328 or call the box office on 01403 750220
The Capitol, North Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1RG
Rating: 5/5