BEAUTY
AND THE BEAST
Directed by Bobbie Day
NODA REVIEW
This was a disappointing pantomime, due mainly, I think, to
the unfortunate illness of writer/director Bobbie Day and
the late recasting of some parts.
Beauty, played by Fiona Southwell, and the Beast, by Stuart
Baynham, were well cast and Joan Adaway’s Fairy Flora was a
lovely contrast to Siobhan Edge’s loud but extremely funny
Horrible Hilda. I could not help feeling that Alan Pearson
as the Baron was inventing the script as he went along, and
certainly, some of his ad-libs were a distraction to less
experienced members of the cast. Alan Dyke and Ben Mayo
were very funny in the dual roles of Muss/Luminous and
Mows/Codpiece. Margaret Miller, as Nanny Thumb, was
excellent, although I felt the storyline would have
benefited by her being involved earlier, as her rapport
with the audience was immediate. Costumes, lighting and
sets were good. However, despite some good individual
performances, this was not the best production I have seen
by this society.
