2024 brings a wealth of celebrations to the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. Resident producers Evolution Productions mark their 20th anniversary, whilst musical director Chris Wong reaches the milestone of 30 years at the venue, having played the Ghostbusters chorus for the legendary Marlowe Theatre Ghost Gag 16,200 times.
This year, the Marlowe returns to a title not seen since 1997: Beauty and the Beast. Having grown in popularity since Disney’s live action remake in 2017, it is now the third most produced pantomime title of the season, and one which brought together husband and wife duo behind Evolution Productions Paul Hendy and Emily Wood 27 years ago at the venue.
Writer and director Hendy knows his audience well and, like his production company’s name suggests, holds evolution key to the success of pantomime. In her pantomime debut, Maisie Smith is a headstrong Belle who, unlike everyone else, isn’t afraid of the Enchanted Wood, or the Beast for that matter. She is prepared to stand up to the transformed Prince and teach him manners, actively wanting to find a way to help break the curse.
Smith is excellent as Belle and embodies a strong role model for younger audience members. Musical numbers “Survivor” and “Run the World (Girls)” celebrate female empowerment and, in addition to confronting her family members about traditional gender roles, Belle also squares up to muscle-flexing Casanova Danton, exposing toxic masculinity and putting him well and truly in his place.
Occupying the equivalent of Disney’s Gaston, Richard David-Caine’s Danton, complete with exaggerated six pack, is more silly than sinister and provides an additional playmate for the comedic capers of Phil Gallagher’s lovable Phillipe and Ben Roddy’s best-in-the-business Madame Fillop. A veritable menu of funnies ranges from Madame Fillip’s Magnet of Love attracting a new boyfriend, the Cart of Puns with 43 quick-fire film jokes, a Ghost Gag with added Wong and the return of the Immersive Sonic Thought Transistor, where, with the press of a button, the invention conveys a character’s inner feelings through song. Full of anarchy, physicality, audience participation and pace, this terrific trio of clowns offer some of the best executed set-business seen on the pantomime stage and even embrace pantomime’s penchant for playful absurdity with a topical nod to Australian breakdancer Raygun at the Paris Olympics.
What Beauty and the Beast affords above many other titles in amongst all the mayhem is a strong romance narrative which director Hendy creates effortlessly. Scenes in the Beast’s Castle between transformed Prince Henri and Belle have the audience transfixed, particularly during Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’s “Die with a Smile” and real heartfelt emotion overcomes the audience during a sequence that crescendos with “You Will Be Found” from Dear Evan Hanson.
Transformation sits at the heart of many pantomime narratives, and Joseph Hewlett’s fine-voiced Prince Henri’s occurs when evil sorceress Nightshade punishes him for judging her by her own transformed appearance. Whilst present in the prologue, the audience never sees Nightshade again, leaving the show devoid of a Villain and perhaps the only panto in the country bereft of “Boo!”s. Time becomes the real Villain as petals begin to fall from the enchanted rose, but with no other malevolent intervention to thwart the heroes, the production forgoes the usual battle between good and evil, leaving Jocasta Amagill’s firecracker of a Cupid bereft of a sparring partner.
Tyler Collins’s Bougie the Candlestick adds yet more hilarity to the comedic count as leader of a fleet of utensils and household objects played by members of the ensemble in inventive costumes designed by Ella Haines and Amy Chamberlain. Choreography from Simon Barnum ensures the pantomime maintains an electric, contemporary feel further supported by Jack Weir’s dynamic lighting design and a strong soundtrack courtesy of Wong’s musical direction and band.
With a strong moral, heartfelt romance and huge dollop of comedy, Beauty and the Beast continues the Marlowe Theatre’s reign as a true panto powerhouse.
Reviewer: Simon Sladen