Panto show would grace any professional theatre

A trip to Panto land inevitably means the good overcome evil and the baddie gets his comeuppance!

And as usual Hinckley Pantomime Company have come up with a real cracker, with their production of Beauty and the Beast.

This one was stacked full of laughs and some great up to the minute songs, including several from ‘The Greatest Showman’, which were all delivered with great gusto.

Many of the established performers feature in the key roles and leading the way was the irrepressible Phil Bevington in the role of Valerie La Bon, owner of the town’s patisserie. He was in hilari- ous form with his caustic asides, saucy innuendos and some way-out costumes, while Craig Martin as son Bennie, was the perfect foil, as they effortlessly gave a comic class in how to work a young enthusiastic audience.

One very clever scene, was when Bennie comes on with a supermarket trolley full of sweets and proceeds to show his dad how he will woo a girl, by producing various named chocolate bars that fit neatly into his speech. And there was also of course, the favourite bench scene, where they sing a song to keep the ghost away! If you have ever been to the Concordia panto, you know exactly what I mean when you hear the cry : ‘We Shall Have To Sing It Again Then, Shan’t We?

Adding to the laughs was Tim Clay as Brat Wurst, a man who loved himself and expected every female to follow suit. He played his over the top braggard character to great effect, as he struggled to convince others he was the perfect lover boy.

Will Shorthose, as his brother Knock Wurst helped him along in his own inimitable manner.

Imogen Barrs was a very convincing Belle, the beauty loved by the Beast. She has a fine singing voice and had some lovely scenes with the young dancers and singers.

Peter Barber as Marcel, her inventor father, turned in a solid performance as the man forced to let his daughter go to the beast’s castle to try to save him.

Brat Wurst is besotted by Belle, but unfortunately for him, she sees through his paper-thin personality, unlike her two sisters. And the pairing of Emily Jones as Lolo and Jessica Kerr as CloClo, provided another comic dimension, as they both tried to outshine each other in their desperate attempts to enchant their chosen suitor,

I have to say the actual prosthetics to make the Beast look fearsome, were truly amazing. And Ben Burgess in the role of Prince Jean Marie aka the Beast did not disappoint.

Helen Shorthose as Mrs Camomile and Ben Packers as Comte De La Brar were a convincing twosome as his trusty retainers, who were appalled at how their master had been turned into the Beast.

While Keeley Mays as the stunning, but evil Belladonna, certainly earned her boos and hisses, as she skilfully manipulated all and sundry to her wishes in great panto fashion.

Once again, the costumes and scenery were simply stunning, and allied to fine chorus and dancing, this show could have graced any professional theatre in the country.