Beauty and the Beast at Church Hill Theatre Review
Written by Kerry for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Newly renamed BTC Productions’ family pantomime, “Beauty and the Beast” moves the classic French tale to Auld Reekie, where Belle McTavish lives and works in her family bakery with her mother, Dame Brenda McTavish. But when the villainous Baroness Morag De Bragg arrives, claiming the town for herself since the royal family disappeared, Belle must brave Eden Palace with her mother and palace janitors Hector and Senga to prove to Prince Sebastian that being turned into a beast doesn’t make him a monster.
Unlike other shows, but becoming a quick staple, was the use of a digital backdrop replacing a wooden set. Even though it gives a closer replica of the production’s concept design, it has a very corporate feel. Pantos have always had a handmade quality to them; you can see the paint strokes’ energy to them, which sadly felt a little lacking in this production.
However, a vast number of the costumes worked with both the story and the setting, even if Belle’s dresses were replicas from the ‘91 animation. That leads to a bigger issue I had, especially with the mounting of the production. It geared a little too close to the Disney film, leaving little room to add the panto elements the audience expects. I will say, though, the few pantomime moments paid off immensely, especially the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” and the arguably funnier “Wee Andy’s Scottish Medley”. There also seemed to be a few problems with sound, notably during the opening song, where the band sounded a bit too loud, meaning the cast’s mics were turned up more than they really should have been.
Michael Davies’ Hector and Roman Mitchell’s Senga were standouts of the show, their banter and antics carrying a lot of the show on their backs. Dame Brenda, played by George Mackie, was the comedy machine of the night, making jokes that weren’t just fresh pop culture references but that worked across the generations. The script kept a decent chunk of its plot from the Disney film, however, I liked the inclusion of the Baroness compared to a Gaston-like character, with Jessica Russell adorned in a melting pot of Madame Morrible and Broadway’s Death Becomes Her costume department.
BTC Productions’ “Beauty and the Beast” has its comedic pantomime moments, but falls short of family fun, with an ensemble that feels a little too big and a lack of chemistry between characters. The production misses the mark on integral plot points and cannot decide whether it’s a panto or a Disney production.
Plays until 6 December 2025
★ ★
