Magical Folk Bring Joy to the Castle
T’was midsummer and mid-school summer holidays so the Greenwich Theatre was brimming with young folk for a new musical version of Beauty and the Beast, writes Michael Holland.
A folksy sextet ambled onto the stage with an array of wild and wonderful instruments and sung about feeling merry on the ferry drinking sherry before faking horror at the children in the audience and bringing it down to story-telling level.
When getting caught in a storm in the woods, Dad seeks shelter in a castle only to upset the tenant when he decides to take a rose home for Belle, one of his three daughters. The keeper of the castle says Dad’s penance for ‘stealing’ is to send a daughter to keep the castle clean; a castle, that is rumoured to be owned by an evil monster.
Belle, though, being a kindly soul, sees the good in the Beast who has been hiding himself away after being tricked into believing he was hideous. She draws his best side out and even though he says it is a ‘cruel world outside’, she convinces him to socialise more so others can see his beauty within. But to do that she will have to organise a masked ball where Beast does not stand out and everyone will see what a nice person he is.
All very well until evil sister Coco and her fiancé Hugo decide to hatch a plan that uncovers the Beast and they get ownership of the castle. Part of their dastardly plot is to have their wedding on the premises so that once inside their wicked scheme can come to fruition.
Of course, this is a famous fairy tale where good always overcomes evil and we must be left smiling at the happy ending. Getting to that joyful finale is a journey of song, dance, jokes and audience participation – some hilariously improvised by kids excited at the grand spectacle before them.
I thought the complex storyline a tad too much for the 6+ age recommendation, but in the second act we were asked if we understood the plot. Several mums cried, ‘No!’ and a catch-up was provided in a comic song. A quiet sigh of relief emanated from this seasoned reviewer although my 11-year-old companion Nancy had no problem in enjoying this fresh take on an established tale from Sidonie Welton and Brad Tutt and a great cast: Louise Cielecki as Belle and Ed Tunningley as Beast, Tony Mooney, Michaela Murphy, Inés Ruiz and Lucy Mae Carpenter in her professional debut.
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES until 25 August 2024, Tue – Thu at 2pm / Fri – Sat at 1pm + 5pm / + Tue 6 Aug at 6pm (press performance)
Tickets: £22 – £27 (full price); £20 – £22 (conc); £11 – £13.50 (child)
Box office: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk / box office:020 8858 7755
