Review: Beauty and the Beast is pure panto magic at Shrewsbury's Theatre Severn
It's a tale as old as time with an extra helping of fairy dust - it's this year's Theatre Severn pantomime.
Shrewsbury's festive retelling of Beauty and the Beast is set in a picturesque French town.
The show follows the story of a prince cursed for his arrogance and vanity to a life of fur and fangs as he is taught kindness and love by the see-the-good-in-everyone beauty, Belle.
It's a ridiculous, chaotic, sugar rush of song and dance - nothing less than pure panto magic.
Guiding the audience through the tale as old as time, yet free from breaches of copyright, was the wholesome South Walian fairy Nuff, played by Jo Osmond.
Welcomed, as always from audiences at the Severn, by rapturous applause was the return of the theatre's in-house Dame, Brad Fitt.
With 30 years in the business under his belt, this year's panto marks Brad's 11th year as director and dame, but his 12th consecutive year performing at the theatre.
Complete with countless costume changes, each more fabulous and flamboyant than the last (kudos to the costume department for the French fancy in particular), Brad is unstoppably watchable. Leading a comedic triple act alongside Kane Oliver Parry, as Danton, and Tommy J Rollason, as Belle's brother Phillipe, the three were equal parts hilarious and endearing.
Tommy's boyish charm, impressive unicycle riding and unfettered positivity commanded the audience's youngest members and had every child (and many of the adults) in the house enthusiastically responding to his every prompt.
Kane, playing the other suitor vying for Belle's affection, was suitably handsome, arrogant and hilarious. His excellent voice and confidence on stage betrayed an already impressive theatre career.
No doubt everyone's highlight was the trio's performance of a messy slapstick 'If I didn't work in panto' routine that had audience members doubling over in their seats.
Vocally, Newport's Tom Carter-Miles, as the Beast, stole the show, with a voice that wouldn't be out of place in a West End performance of The Phantom of the Opera. His duets with Samantha Dorrance, playing Belle, were at points genuinely breathtaking.
Wolverhampton's own Disney princess, Samantha, who quite literally began her career on the Disney Channel, looked born to play the role. Sweet, stunning and with a voice that birds would flock to - she was perfect panto casting.
A surprising stand-out was villager Joshua Piper, who doubled up as Tik-Tok the talking clock. Was he French? Was he German? Who knows, I couldn't take my eyes off him.
The costumes were fantastic, the choreography impressive, and each cast member lit up the stage with joy and light and laughter; a must-see for Shropshire families over the festive season.
Severn Theatre's Beauty and the Beast runs until January 8. Signed, captioned and relaxed performances are available. Booking and more information can be found at theatresevern.co.uk/shows/whatson/beauty-and-the-beast
