When it comes to a musical, there's nothing quite like a bit of Disney to add a bit of a extra sparkle and magic and that's exactly what audiences in North Shields are getting this week with Astravaganza Entertainment's Beauty and the Beast, with added confetti and pyrotechnics thrown in for good measure.
Now, if you still aren't familiar with Astravaganza, they are the production company who staged what, for me, is probably the best amateur dramatic production I've ever had the pleasure of seeing, in the shape of Oliver, which quite rightly earned rave reviews for its run at the Tyne Theatre last year. So the big question is, after setting their own bar so high with that stellar show, did Beauty and the Beast, running at The Exchange until Sunday, manage to top it?
Well, the answer in short is, not quite. Oliver was one of those theatre productions that any audience would be lucky to feast their eyes on; it had an iconic venue, it had amazing group numbers, impressive staging and many other fine attributes that make it an extremely tough act to follow. However, the thing that Beauty and the Beast definitely has in its arsenal is that many of the star performers who were in Oliver are back to get in on the Disney action.
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One of the supporting ensemble less than 12 months ago, Amelia Cavagan has made the step up to lead with impressive ease. She is everything you'd want from a Disney princess, starting with a sublime singing voice, which is displayed to affection in the likes of No Matter What and A Change in Me She is poised, she has genuine warmth and gives real vulnerability in her performance, while also bringing all of the bravery and courage that is required for Belle, not least when she is fighting off the persistent advances of unwanted admirer Gaston.
Another of the Olivier alumni, Louis Wilkinson plays Gaston with puffed out chest panache. Rather than making the character the one dimensional brawny buffoon he is painted to be, Louis brings added eccentricity and exuberance to Gaston, as well as making easy work of the big belting notes in his namesake's all singing all dancing number, as well as in Me, with his rich and powerful voice really giving them both that extra bit of oomph and West End worthy quality.
As the Beast, Danny Emerson-Ducasse is top drawer. As the evil of the Beast's early scenes with Belle and her father Maurice melts away to show a more sensitive side, Danny really comes into his own, with act one closer If I Can't Love Her a masterpiece in how to deliver an emotive musical theatre ballad and, his two hander of Something There with Amelia a heartwarming moment that sees both of them get the tone of the scene totally spot on. Danny's performance as the Beast is one that really packs a punch and it's all down to his fine vocals and commanding presence.
They say bad things can often come in threes, well on the evidence of Beauty and the Beast, so can good things, as, in Andrew Walker Lane, Markus Sayers Franklin and Deborah Taylor-Smith, the production has three total stars, who each have their own chances to shine and when sharing the stage are just brilliant.
Often seen as the 'grumpy' one of the three, it's nice to see Cogsworth injected with a bit more charm and humour, thanks to Andrew's spirited and highly entertaining portrayal and Fred from First Dates move aside, because Markus' Lumiere is the only maître d' we need in our lives. With flair and finesse, Markus was born to play the charismatic candlestick, who is quite rightly, front and centre for showstoppers like Be our Guest and Human Again.
Deborah brought the house down as Nancy in Oliver last year and, while Mrs Potts doesn't allow her to show off her vocal chops anywhere near as much as the final few lines of As Long as He Needs Me, her treatment of the show's title song Beauty and the Beast is It's totally on the money. Understated yet impactful and can't fail to warm the co*ckles, as well as proving what a versatile performer she is.
The role of Mrs Potts' son Chip is being split across the week, with both Emily McGrogan and Leo Humphreys earning themselves well deserved plaudits for their performances, while as Babette, Penny Carse is fantastically flirtatious and Karen Humphreys makes Madame La Grande Bouche a regal and operatic tour de force and deserves extra praise for negotiating, what has got to be the most difficult costume of the lot. Singing and dancing while dressed as a massive wardrobe can't be easy!
The Beauty and the Beast cast is full of talented individuals. Having been up there with the best of the best in Oliver, Liam Grahame Olsen brings a real chill to the air as the calculated and sinister Monsieur D'Arque; Gary McGrogan is excellent as Maurice, with the musical offering the character of Belle's father much more of a chance to shine than the original Disney cartoon and as LeFou, Corey Clarke is the perfect partner in crime and comedic foil for Louis' Gaston. And also, given that the show has a cast of all ages, mention must go to all of the ensemble, particularly the young dancers whose enthusiasm is so infectious.
There are plenty of individual performances in Astravaganza's latest production that are without question worthy of five stars, but the major thing from the show as a whole not quite getting the full 5/5 is the stage. While the array of attention grabbing costumes undoubtedly make Be Our Guest a stand out moment, it did feel slightly restricted, with more contained movements than the song allows. More room on stage would have really given the cast a chance to dazzle and give it that added pizazz, to put the cherry on what is already a very impressive cake.
In a nutshell, this is a show and a cast that is deserving of a bigger stage, with other large ensemble numbers like Gaston also more limited to just how big and bold they could be. It's obvious that a lot of hard work has gone into making Beauty & the Beast feel like a real Disney spectacle. The direction, production, including some attention grabbing and highly effective screen visuals and musical arrangements, have all clearly brought the best out of the performers, but the things they do so well throughout would be even better had they had more space to really go for it.
A Beauty of a show, packed full of great songs, delivered in tremendous fashion by a wonderful cast.
*Beauty and the Beast is running at The Exchange in North Shields until Sunday, June 2, with performances on Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and a Sunday matinee.
