Photography by Skye Collacott Williamson.

First Published via HUB Magazine when I was Culture Editor.

Date Published: 28th October 2022.

Beauty and the Beast excels at all the dynamics and genres of theatre: comedic gold for the whole family, raw heart-wrenching emotions, and beautiful dancing.  

The costume design team has thoroughly outdone themselves with their production of Beauty and the Beast, I’m not even sure which outfit is my favourite. From the moment I saw Belle come onto the stage with her beautiful denim dress with little white flowers and that puffy long-sleeve shirt underneath, I knew the costumes would be beautiful; not only for the main characters but for the side characters even in dance sequences. A standout gown is Babette’s flapper-inspired pink dress matched with her pink hair. I cannot even express the amount of emotion I felt when Belle descended the stairs in her yellow dress, it quite possibly is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. It brought me to tears.  

The stage is used to its full potential. In the forest scene, there are two screens used to create an intense atmosphere. A screen at the back creates the imagery of the forest and a see-through screen enhances the effects of the wolves hunting Belle’s father. During the performance of ‘Be Our Guest’, the use of the back screen shows a bird’s eye view of the stage’s floor as the dancers use the floor as part of a dance routine. It was very old school, combining both class and a sense of Las Vegas. The arch set design during ‘Be Our Guest’ was especially beautiful. There is a little hint of naughtiness from the entire cast as the dancers wear sparkling fishnets and have multiple layers of puffy material underneath their dresses.   

There is a moment in the theatre when you can truly feel the magic, as the atmosphere is emphasised by the music and set design. This beautiful moment was halfway through the play, when Belle reads the Beast ‘King Arthur’, finally promoting a sense of calm, familiarity and wonder. This is also helped by the set spinning around, possibly used to show the progression of time and/or the progression of their relationship. 

I was lucky enough to be sitting at the front, and was able to see the conductor instruct the orchestra. It is truly a sight to behold. I can’t even imagine how difficult it is and how much work is put into the orchestra for ‘Beauty and the Beast’.  

The level of excellence and precision required for the dance sequence during both ‘Gaston’ and ‘Be Our Guest’ is beyond incredible. Every single dancer was choreographed to the second. My favourite was during ‘Gaston’ when they use the beer mugs to create an action sequence and a dance. Perfectly timed with the instruments, it overflows with excitement, bringing a whole another level of life. ‘Be Our Guest’ reminds me of the Great Gatsby era as well as the scene in Captain America the First Avenger where Steve is dancing to cheer up the soldiers. It is flirty, fun, and adventurous. 

Courtney Stapleton who plays Belle gives the performance of a lifetime, especially during her solo when she decides to trade herself for her father. I was completely hypothesised by her performance. If there is something actors in theatres must have to engage audiences for a long period of time and to connect them to the production, she has it completely. 

Louis Stockil playing Le Fou is beyond comedic excellence, with every movement of his bringing another laughter to the audience. His comedic timing is beyond perfection, and he has a bigger-than-life stage presence than even Gaston. Though this should not discredit Tom Senior’s performance as Gaston, he especially delivers during his duo with Belle, arguing over the proposal. He truly acts the part of Gaston with his charm, wit and hyper-masculinity. 

All the cast have stand-out voices. The dynamic between Alyn Hawke playing Lumiere and Emma Caffrey playing Babette gives ease and lightness to the theatre. One question I want to have answered, is how Sam Baliey playing Mrs Potts has her hand up for so long. Baliey gave an extreme sense of realism to the theatre; she reminded the audience of the pain the Beast and the rest of the castle’s servants are in. Her companion, Samantha Bingley playing Madame, made the audience laugh.  

When Belle enters the west wing where she is forbidden to go, Shaq Taylor brings such raw emotion to his solo as the Beast. I felt a heartbreak that almost drove me to the point of tears. Taylor plays such a complex character with a combination of sweetness, comedy and menacing. He plays the Beast’s fine line between kind and danger perfectly. It is truly an accomplishment to his acting abilities to both draw compassion and hatred from an audience.   

Beauty and the Beast is playing at the Hippodrome Theatre in Bristol till 12 November 2022.