Beauty and the Beast is one of those pantomimes that truly entertains audiences young and old. With a story that is a tale as old as time, and so many opportunities to mix things up, it's no wonder that theatre's use it year on year. Weaving witchcraft, humour, and the hope of a happy ending, the All Saints Dramatic Society have used this tale and created a show that’s a hit for the local audience. 

The story, written by former ASDS member Simon Fox, weaves in brilliant local references alongside big show numbers that audience members little and old can enjoy, whilst not forgetting all the essential pantomime hijinks  that you need to make a winning show. With a live band in tow, and enough audience interaction to keep everyone hooked, Beauty and the Beast is a great show to entertain all. 

Renee Claude and Latayan Richardson are brilliant as Mary and Gaston. With fantastic on stage partnership and brilliant voices to match, they entertain audiences throughout. I thought that Latayan's enthusiasm in the role of Gaston was brilliant and for her first principal role, she did an awesome job. I also adored the pairing of Sue Josey and Yvette Phillips as Rabbit and Squirrel. Their comedic timing was hilarious and their audience interaction was top notch. How they had the energy to bound around the stage constantly is beyond me! I was exhausted just watching them. 

The junior chorus are adorable, special mention must go to their rendition of "What Does the Fox Say", which was hilarious and full of energy. They definitely won the cute factor! The duo of Stevie Drogemuller and John Sivewright as Scotty Potty and Dame Potty was a brilliant pairing. Ensuring that every panto joke, comedic trope and one liner was included whilst ensuring the pace of the show didn’t slow down isn’t an easy feat, but they did it fantastically. 

For an amateur production I’m always impressed at how professional performances are. Whilst you know that it will never rival that of the west end, you can’t deny the sheer talent, enthusiasm, and creativity in each show they put on. Each cast and crew member work tirelessly to ensure that the packed out audience had a brilliant time, and a brilliant time was had by all. 

Beauty and the Beast runs at Corpus Christi Church Hall on various dates until 20th January. For more information please follow: All Saints Dramatic Society