Beauty and the Beast at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Beauty and the Beast at Theatre Royal, Newcastle

Ask anyone what they think of as the signal that Christmas is coming and they might say Christmas adverts, songs on the radio, planning a big meal, buying gifts, the Coca Cola wagon but for me the real sign is when the Theatre Royal start their Pantomime.  Rightly heralded as one of the very best in the country, this year’s offering of QDOS’s Beauty and the Beast has taken the very best elements of the traditional seasonal fun and blown it into a new level altogether.  This is not just panto excellence, this is theatre excellence.

While some pantos have resorted to using gimics to try and set themselves apart – 3D visions, cameos by pop stars and reality tv, bizarre twists in the story,  all of them, bar none, pale into insignificance when compared to Newcastle’s finest.  Written, produced and directed by a team who all hail from or are based in the North East, this show is perfection beyond compare and instantly taps into our rich culture, heritage and love of laughing.

The story retains everything about the original and why wouldn’t it – it’s a wonderful story tailor made for panto.  The sets are exquisite, rich, deep and packed with detail.  Choreography, both in costume design and routines are like a mix of the most elegant Viennese ball and the best bits of Strictly.

Of course, what makes a Panto really shine is the cast and once again, Newcastle have the best in the country, if not the whole of Panto world.

 

Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Michael Potts provide so much fun they should carry a health warning, Chris Hayward as Mrs Rita Potty is the Geordie mother we all wish we had and the beautiful Laura Evans as Belle ensures we have some delightful feminine charms to counter the madness.  Nicola Meehan sets the scene for the whole evening with a breathtaking transformation from old hag to stunning enchantress whilst Chris Cowley as both the prince and the beast is totally believable as bad guy made good.  Even Wayne Smith as Belle’s desperate love wannabee elicits some sympathy, possibly in part because he is a wonderful mix of Lazy Town’s Robbie Rotten and Elvis Presley.

Having watched lots of pantos all round the country I do believe that Newcastle is blessed with something others can only wish for – Danny Adams in his finest.  Danny is worth coming to see on his own, he is a magician in his art and had this 50yr old rolling in the isles along with the 5 and 6 years olds (though often for very different reasons).  A master of slapstick, ably abetted by panto stalwarts  Webb and Potts, at times I found myself begging for him to stop just so I could grab a desperate breath or two.  He is a magical blend of Lee Evens, Norman Wisdom, Max Wall (yes I’m that old), Freddie Starr and Tommy Cooper with a penchant for tongue twisters and singing that would paralyse most people’s vocal chords.  One song in particular, where he names all the people and places in the North East should be used as by the tourist board as an advert.

What is most noticeable about this panto is that despite there being an obvious billing hierarchy, and a group who are into their 15^th year at the Theatre Royal, everyone, and I mean everyone, has equal input into making it the best Christmas show in the country.

My advice, if you love to laugh, if you love to see others laugh (including the cast) and if you love yourself, then get tickets for this – you’ll be on a high for days after.

A 5 start show with an extra star for Danny Camp, this return to traditional panto is packed with laughs, stunts, knife throwing, mess, gloop, brilliant songs and bags and bags of fun.  

On until Saturday 19^th January 2020

Curtains, the Musical Murder Mystery

Set in 1950’s Boston, Curtains follows the story of a pre-broadway musical whose cast and crew suffer the trials and tribulations of not only the murder of their leading lady on opening night, but the subsequent twists and turns of the resulting investigation.  Set against the backdrop of ‘Robbin Hood’ a musical western, this play within a play (or more accurately, a musical within a musical) is as much about the saving of the show as much it is about the murder mystery.  As the detective leading the investigation puts the whole theatre on lock down, relationships fray, pressure rises and fingers are pointed.  There are plots and subplots galore, some very clever and funny musical numbers and no shortage of jokes.

From the opening bars you can hear the refrains of Kander & Ebb classics such as Chicago and Cabaret but this is much more than simply another of the same.  Director Paul Foster has made sure this lesser known show stands on its own; it has a familiarity which immediately makes it accessible yet has enough in reserve to maintain intrigue and a freshness to encourage repeat viewings.

Jason Manford (known recently for Scarborough on TV and The Producers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on stage) plays the lead character of Detective Frank Coiffi, a wannabee thespian and amateur musical theatre star who has as much input into resurrecting the stricken show as he does in solving the crime.  Manford holds his character perfectly, part Columbo, part Poirot with a pretty decent Boston accent to boot.  He revels in the musical elements, giving us a chance to hear a great voice and some pretty nifty dance moves and, as one would expect his comic timing is impeccable.

Playing opposite Coiffi, in the role of Georgia Hendricks, the show’s lyricist who is thrust into the limelight following the untimely death of the original lead, is Carley Stenson.  No stranger to musical and comedy theatre, Carley lights up the stage regardless of whether it’s her scene or not – she has a wonderful, powerful voice and, as seen in the finale to act 1 number ‘Thataway’ is a very adept dancer to boot.  Her duets with Andy Coxon as Aaron Fox, her on stage writing partner,  are simply magical.

Two other standout performances are Rebecca Lock as show producer Carmen Bernstein and Samuel Holmes as show director Christopher Belling.  Rebecca plays Carmen with strength, style and plenty of sass, very reminiscent of the Mama Morton part in Chicago but with the Boston dirt under her fingernails.  

Samuel Holmes however, is totally English and because of that he can get away with pretty much anything.  His Belling is acerbic, driven, suffers no fools and knows that, despite anything on the bill, HE is the real star of the show.  Totally captivating and utterly charming.

Packed full of musical numbers this is a wonderful opportunity for the people of Darlington to see the early stages of what is destined to be a smash hit.  Curtains has already announced it will soon transfer to the West End at the Wyndham Theatre so there’s no better time to grab a ticket and enjoy some brilliant 5 star comedy musical murder mystery.