There must have been some interesting conversations at Wallace Hall Academy when the Expressive Arts Team announced that this year’s school show was going to be Beauty and the Beast… but that they weren’t ‘doing Disney’.
Still buoyed by plaudits for last year’s sell-out production of Shrek, I imagine a few of the pupils were gearing up to go full-on LeFou, Lumière, Chips or Mrs Potts. But no such characters exist in the version that teacher and director Mrs Gerry Griffin brought to the table.
This was ‘An Alternative Version’ of Beauty and the Beast by Laurence Boswell that draws on the original 18th Century fairy tale about a merchant’s family which loses their fortune, and how the widowed father encounters The Beast after being caught in a snowstorm during an ill-fated mission to regain his riches. His youngest daughter Belle, who is beloved by her brothers and despised by her sisters, agrees to go to live with The Beast to save her father’s life after he ends up a marked man for stealing a rose to give to her.
The only way to bring such ‘an alternative’ version of a much-loved favourite to life is by being bold, and Mrs Griffin assembled an excellent cast to turn her ambitious vision into reality.
This was certainly no 'tale as old as time' – it was truly spellbinding; clever and captivating, with some beautiful choreography and stunning set pieces set to a Bridgerton-inspired soundtrack, which music students helped to create.
The horse and the hall of mirrors scenes were particularly magical, Belle’s bedroom scenes, with her animated furniture were enchanting, and the costumes were impressive, especially the Queen of Mirrors and Helene’s headpieces, and the Beast’s mask and horns.
Pupils from across the S1-S6 year groups were involved in the production and their passion and enthusiasm shone through.
While I would have liked a little more volume from some of the players, the show was visually stunning and Mrs Griffin’s faith in her cast to deliver such a complex production was rewarded.
I enjoyed watching all of the actors bring their characters to life: Mikella Burg and Darach Smyth complemented each other perfectly as Belle and The Beast, with Darach packing so much emotion into his limited dialogue; every gruff response and roar brining the anguish of the cursed creature.
Esther Elliott excelled as the watchful witch, and Mika Walls and Eve Taylor were brilliantly bitchy as Belle’s remorseless sisters Veronique and Marie Clare. They clearly relished their roles and owned every scene they were in.
But the scene / show stealers for me were Gabriella Hamlet and Cara Groves as Beast’s Man and Beauty’s Maid. They were quite magnificent as the robot assistants who had a whole romantic side plot of their own. So convincing were Gabriella and Cara, that I think they could carry a spin-off show. I look forward to seeing them perform again.
This certainly was no 'tale as old as time' -but I think Mrs Potts would have approved.
Congratulations to all involved.
