With opportunities to see this fabulous Christmas show in the morning, afternoon or evening, The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham opens its stunning new production of Beauty and the Beast on Tuesday 10th December. It’s a tale as old as time, and a classic for all ages.
When you read the words “fairy tale” and “Christmas”, it’s easy to assume that a production combining the two must mean a pantomime. Not so for the Crescent Theatre’s upcoming production of Beauty and the Beast expertly combines the darker nature of classic fairy tales with wonder and excitement to spellbind and hold the attention of its younger audiences – and intrigue the older ones.
Written by Laurence Boswell and first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company, this take on Beauty and the Beast has been skillfully and wittily adapted by director Mark Shaun Walsh.
While his version is for all ages, Walsh is aware that his audience will be mostly children and has directed accordingly. So the medieval costumes of classic fairy tales blend with more modern inventions like phones and steering wheels, along with a dash of cartoon silliness for good measure – think the chase sequences from Scooby Doo!
And of course, the flow of the performance is important in keeping a younger audience’s attention. As Walsh explains: “Each dance within the show tells part of the story, be this the passage of time illustrating Beauty’s growing affection for Beast, Jean Louis dancing with his grief in the rose garden or even the mirror sequence showing us the past alongside the present.”
Despite all this, Walsh has been careful that his production does not sugarcoat or make fun of the original fairy tale which, at its heart, is about loss and how grief and selfishness can sow discord amongst a family. Beauty (Emily Harle) is forced to stand as caretaker and the voice of reason amongst her father and siblings – but through love, hope, compassion and fearlessness, she endures.
Walsh says of her: “Beauty stands without fear of those around her. She is a feminist advocate when faced with a tyrant and stands up for her rights when being captive in a strange place. It is her who decides her future.”
While the theme of “family” runs strongly through the performance, it also reflects life off-stage, too. “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with every one of my cast and crew, who consist of seasoned Crescent performers, those who are new to the Crescent and those who are just starting out on their theatrical journeys.”
The high-energy cast of twelve seem many more as they criss-cross every inch of space in the stunning multi-level set designed by Keith Harris, show their versatility in dance routines created by choreographer Jingya (Chasse) Peng and deliver Gary Spruce’s charming specially composed songs. More than half the cast are new to the Crescent which has seen a high number of new members joining in recent months.
So for children from 9 to 90 and above who want a show full of magic and emotion and a really strong story, come to the Crescent this December and immerse yourself in this tale as old as time!
Beauty and the Beast runs from 10th-21st December. Tickets are on sale now at www.crescent-theatre.co.uk or call our Box Office on 0121 643 5858 and concessions are available.