If you want to witness the power of panto, then experience it with a group of school children, as we did this week at The Theatre Chipping Norton where Beauty and the Beast is taking centre stage this Christmas.
Deafening in their responses, the baddie Madame Hex (Tessa Vale) was almost immobilised by the wall of booing that greeted her every entrance and exit, although my favourite is still the unanimous ‘eeeughs’ which followed Marie and Pierre’s first kiss.
Yes it’s that time of year again when we throw caution to the wind and immerse ourselves in pantoland, and what a treat is in store in Chippy.
Never one to follow the party-line, all measure of silliness, capers, costumes, terrible French accents, hypnotising machines, science experiments, messy eclair making and the piece de resistance – the Tour De Fromage – ensued.
Director and writer John Terry has pulled out all the stops again this year to ensure a rollicking good ride through San Saucisson, sometimes at a snail’s pace courtesy of Les the Escargot, at others with hare-brained momentum as the ensemble race to save Marie from the monstrous beast.
And while some of the dad jokes were lost on the primary school audience, leaving the marvellous dame Fifi Fromage (Tom Capper) rather flummoxed, especially when she had to pick her beau from the audience only to realise all the teachers were female and had to choose the unfortunate drummer from the panto band, it only added to the fun. Oh the frolics!
Beauty and the Beast opens on scientist and inventor Pierre (the lofty Jack Huckin) arriving in San Saucisson with his brain-altering innovations, cue much hilarity. But Madame Hex’s magic bent is much put out and she contrives to make Pierre disappear by tampering with his experiments.
Meanwhile Fifi is haring off to the city to sell her fromage on her bicyclette competing against all the other cheese sellers to get there first, and the Tour De Fromage is born.
However, on the way home Fifi steals a rose from the ‘spooky castle”s rose garden and is taken prisoner for her crime. Marie, bored of being told not to worry her ‘pretty little head’, then takes matters into her own hands and goes in her mother’s place.
Marie (Rebecca-Jo Roberts), who sings like a nightingale, is soon enchanted by the mysterious castle’s inhabitants as housekeeper Mrs Curry (Evie James), the clock and stove all teach her to make a feast for the beast, amidst much singing and dancing. The original music by Tom Self is both memorable and toe-tapping with some really touching moments – the ‘Chemistry’ number between Marie and Pierre sticking in your mind long after you return home.
Much sweet-throwing, audience singing, costume-changing, beast transforming and baddie repenting later, Pierre and Marie are reunited in the classic finale where Fifi’s outfits once again steal the show.
And if our young audience’s reactions were anything to go by, Chipping Norton Theatre has done it again and brought something fresh, original, rib-tickling and thoroughly satisfying to our shores this Christmas. What a sizzler!
Beauty and the Beast is at The Theatre Chipping Norton until Jan 18. Book here:https://www.chippingnortontheatre.com/events/beauty-and-the-beast
