Review: Beauty and the Beast, The Montgomery, Sheffield

When seeing Beauty and the Beast, the audience has an expectation that humans will be transformed into household objects and that a Prince will be turned into a Beast. Woodseats MTC has delivered a production that gets all these elements right. The costumes are all bright and eye-catching. Belle’s golden gown is especially stunning. The Beast’s costume and his transformation fulfil all expectations.

The set is very simple, leaving space for the audience’s imagination. There are flats of painted stonework and an upstage platform, but no major scenery changes. The power of suggestion is used for pubs, castle doors and castle interior scenes. With a show as well-known as this one, it’s a workable technique and certainly saves space in the wings (and production costs).

The show’s charm depends on its lush score. Musical Director Rowan Alfred and his ten-piece band play the familiar music with style. All the principal actors give very good performances. Orlaith Day is a feisty Belle and a capable actor-singer. Her songs are all well delivered, especially ‘A Change In Me’ which builds to a very strong finish. I felt for Jacon Boulton in his Beast costume in the oppressive heat of The Montgomery. He convinces in his transformation, from bad-tempered Beast, via vulnerable Beast, and finally to Prince. His performance of ‘If I Can’t Love Her’ is fabulous and a show highlight.

As Gaston, Alexander Hayward-Browne has an excellent singing voice and good stage presence. His rendition of ‘Me’ is very enjoyable, and the silly-girls-trio formed by Jessica Brandão, Sadie Paulucy and Lilli Connelly are very funny in their smaller roles. His duet with Peter Reed‘s LeFou has tight and impressive harmony singing. 

The enchanted objects bring much of the show’s humour, and Peter Krajewsku is suitably luminous as Lumiere, playing the role with charm. His interactions with Hollie White’s Babette are a delight. Thomas Galwey ably presents all of Cogsworth’s highly-stung persona. 

The hard-working ensemble double as villagers and enchanted objects, delivering such incredible volume when they sing that some solo lines in ‘Belle’ are almost drowned out. There may have been a few technical issues on this opening night. There were occasions where microphones weren’t picking up voices and some of the upstage action seemed rather dimly lit. Becky Jones’s performance of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as Mrs Potts sounds lovely, but she is almost invisible at the rear of the stage. This, however, is one of the trickiest things to get completely right in an amateur production with so few technical rehearsals.

Phoebe Phillips’ choreography is executed well within the limited Montgomery stage. It is especially good in ‘The Mob Song’ which is sung with gusto by the ensemble, although some of the intensity of the number was lost as the ensemble quietly left the stage.

There are several occasions when the placing of actors downstage blocks the view of more important upstage action. As a result, I missed several key scenes from my seat in the side stalls. It is a nice touch to have dancers in the auditorium during the lively and well-performed ‘Be Our Guest’, but when they enter the aisles they do obstruct the view of the on-stage action.

This production is very entertaining, and the company has clearly worked incredibly hard to bring this delightful ‘Tale as Old as Time’ back to the stage. The level of talent I regularly see performing in Sheffield amateur companies is impressive, and Woodseats MTC is no exception.

Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Tim Rice
Book by Linda Woolverton
Originally Directed by Robert Jess Roth
Originally Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.
Directed/Musical Direction by Rowan Aldred
Choreographed by Phoebe Phillips
Dance Captain: Lucy Thickett
Vocal Coach: Nick Davies
Costumes:  Molly Limpet’s Theatrical Emporium
Sound Designer: PM Productions
Lighting Designer: Christopher Hanlon
Sign Language Interpreter: Lauren Fletcher-Harris

Beauty and the Beast plays at the Montgomery until Saturday 11 July