Review:LHK Productions Presents Beauty And The Beast - Epstein Theatre
With 5ive frontman Richie Neville playing Anton and Grease is the word semi-finalist Alison Crawford playing Belle, the panto got underway with the Countess of Champagne setting the scene,. Shannon Power who played her had phenomenal stage presence and instantly engaged with the audience. She consistently performed at a high level and was a hit with the audience.
As expected, the show was jam packed with 5ive references and songs. The opening number "Keep on movin'" was delightful as children filled the stage, dancing with exuberance and finesse. It was clear that the band were enjoying themselves too and their execution of the numbers was excellent throughout.
Neville was confident in his delivery however as he recited a poem which was a straight lift from a 5ive song, I wasn't particularly convinced about what his accent was meant to be, I'm not sure he was either. His delivery was overtly camp and annoying throughout the performance. I was instantly turned off by him as I found he was overcompensating. I particularly found his stance of hands on hips and transferring of weight from one foot to the other distracting and annoying . His vocals were not particularly strong and I was disappointed by him in all honesty. That said, you weren't meant to like his character Anton the baddie, so in that regard, maybe that can be classed as a success.
The children in the audience were instantly enamoured with Loopy Louie (official village idiot) and his interaction with them was fantastic. He encouraged the children to say "Bonjour Louie" everytime he appeared on stage. He executed the songs he performed with ease and was a amiable character.
I've never watched Alison Crawford perform so my next controversial comment may highlight this. I found her voice to be extremely raspy and hoarse, it appeared that she had a very sore throat, so much so that when she performed the song "Beauty and The Beast", the impact of the song was lost due to the lack of power in her voice.
Michael Chapman played Dolly Donut and he was outstanding. He was hilarious and his delivery exceptional. The customary double entendre's flowed freely and the adult members of the audience showed their approval by their rapturous bouts of laughter.
The male dancers were fabulous and at times overshadowed Ritchie when they performed alongside him.The set design was A1 and set the scene beautifully. Dan Hagan who played the Beast was not very audible during the first half of the panto but thankfully the audio improved in the second half. The make - up was very good albeit a little frightening for some of the younger members of the audience.
In summary, this was a well constructed panto which was worth seeing. The effort and energy of the whole cast was commendable. The costumes, set design and acting were of good quality on the whole and it was an enjoyable way to spend Good Friday evening.
Rating 3/5
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