I have something to admit, I am not the biggest fan of panto. I know, very un-British of me, I’m sorry! That being said, I really enjoyed St Peter’s Players’ production of Beauty and the Beast at Wolvercote Village Hall. With charming sets, a fun script by veteran pantomime writer Ben Crocker, and classic pop tunes, the show was an enjoyable evening of theatre.
The cast of Beauty and the Beast were small but mighty. A variety of ages graced the stage and put on a great show that garnered whoops and cheers from the audience. It’s great to see local amateur groups keeping up the tradition of pantomime and ensuring there are jokes and hit songs for everyone to enjoy. The classic Dame character, portrayed flamboyantly by Andrew Churchill Stone, burst onto the stage and kept enthusiasm up throughout the show. Charley Alcock as Beauty brought grace and charm to the role as well as some cracking vocals. The range of songs included in this production could make even the most seasoned singers scared, but Charley, along with Eve Haden as Capucine and Catherine McCosker as Prince Christophe, managed to keep the melodies flowing and the rhythm in time. The Beast, played by Richard Gledhill, was terrifyingly terrific, and Clare Winterbottom as the witch Malabelle was epically evil.
A big shout out to Pete Drury as Felix the French Poodle, and Sam Haden as Jaques, Beauty’s brother; both actors gave a standout performance. The supporting cast of talking furniture, wolves, villagers, and castle servants were brilliant. Seeing young performers allowed the chance to contribute to a production is always a welcome sight; well done to all.
I must commend the set design for the show; it was truly exceptional. I am used to seeing amateur productions with obviously hand-crafted flats, set pieces, and props, but the designers and makers of this set went above and beyond. Full village scenes, castle ruins, and a shimmering hall of mirrors were brilliantly crafted and beautifully lit by the lighting team; bravo. The costumes were also very well curated. I especially enjoyed the dame’s many outlandish outfits and the effect of the beast’s transformation. Huge well done to everyone involved in bringing the talking furniture to life. The costumes and makeup were incredible and the cast in them just as good!
I personally felt the songs could have done with some simple harmonies to lift the sound, and a fuller band would have been nice, although I appreciate it is hard to find a full orchestra for a local production at this time of year. In parts, the script felt a little clunky, and occasionally the story was lost in the chaos, but overall it was amusing and heartfelt. Audiences anticipate hearing certain phrases in a pantomime production, such as, ‘it’s behind you’ and ‘oh no you didn’t…oh yes, you did,’ and unfortunately, this was lacking somewhat. I’m not the biggest fan of audience participation, but I know that these catchy phrases are ingrained in the British psyche, and to find them missing from a pantomime was a little disappointing. The cast did manage to keep things going when some lines were forgotten though and that elevated the performance. There’s nothing better than some improvised jokes to keep the audience on their toes.
I was sad to see that the audience for opening night was on the small side but that didn’t deter the cast from giving it their all, well done! It’s so important to support local amateur dramatic groups, so I implore everyone to get out there and book tickets for your local village production. It’s clear to see how much time and effort the cast and crew put into this show, and I wish them the best of luck for the remainder of the run. Go see the St Peter’s Players production of <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>; it is well worth it!