Beauty and Beast is comedy gold
RENOWNED as being ‘the little panto with the big heart’, The Customs House at South Shields has a lot to prove this pantomime season having been called ‘the most entertaining panto’ for three consecutive years by a local theatre guide.
So does this year’s offering of Beauty and the Beast deliver the goods?
During the afternoon performance that my family visited, the cast were certainly on fine form, and the show was warmly received by the full house.
This cosy 400-seat auditorium means that wherever you are sitting, you’re always going to have a good view and feel very much part of the fun and frolics.
A talented cast of players is led by Ray Spencer (of Tommy the Trumpeter fame and also co-writer of the panto) whose Dame delights the mums and dads as much as the kids in the audience.
Dame Bella Ballcock is naughty - but nice! Ray’s comic genius is ably supported by his wing man David John Hopper, who plays Dame Bella’s hapless son Arbuthnot. Whenever these guys are on stage together, it’s comedy gold.
The story sticks loyally to the original tale of Beauty and the Beast, with a strong Prince/ Beast played by Steven Lee Hamilton with Eleanor Chaganis playing a quirky Enchantress, and Georgia Nicholson creating a kooky housekeeper Hortense.
Annie Guy brings a sprinkling of West End style magic to the stage with a feisty Beauty, chased by the devilishly handsome but vain Gaston figure (Afnan Iftikhar) named Gaviscon in this production. Cutlet (Charlie Raine) is the kiddies’ favourite and stole everyone’s hearts as a signing sheep who delivers a mean rap and was a foil for Gaviscon’s manly but manic pursuit of Beauty.
This production is an absolute visual feast, with a sumptuous set and beautiful costumes inspired by cinematic and theatrical memories - created by Paul Shriek, winner of Best Costume Design at the 2018 Great British Panto Awards, beating the mighty London Palladium which was also in the same category.
The theatre continues to punch above its weight, and has raised the bar again this year, as it heads towards its 25th anniversary in 2019 with plans for Snow White already under way.