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Last night, i had the pleasure of visiting the lovely Grand Opera House, York.. for my annual trip to their Christmas Pantomime! This year’s production was ‘Beauty and the Beast’ - a lovely story that follows Belle as she falls in love with a beast!
It didn’t take long for me to find the beauty within this show, and in this review i will detail exactly why!
This pantomime has improved since last year which was already really good! The quality of the costumes, the sets and the lighting were all second to none and I spent the entire show with my mouth open every single time someone entered the stage in a new costume, or the set changed to a new lavish design.
It would be hard not to mention the magic within the show as within the first scene we watch the old woman transform into the beautiful fairy which happened seamlessly and without a hitch. The other main magical moment was the beast’s transformation into the prince which got an audible gasp from the audience who were left amazed by this clever and mind-blowing effect! - The panto magic is strong in this pantomime and the lucky audiences of York enjoyed every second!!
Jennifer Caldwell is this year’s panto princess, taking on the iconic role of Belle. Caldwell is no stranger to the stage and has a wonderful presence which makes her instantly loveable. She brings some beautiful vocals to this performance and when she entered in her ballgown, audience members of all ages could be heard saying “Wow!”. Jennifer Caldwell, in my opinion, is the perfect panto princess!
Samuel Wyn-Morris, best known for his role as Enjolras in Les Miserables, plays the prince/Beast. The first thing to mention about Wyn-Morris is his incredible vocal talent, not only does he have insane control over his voice, he sings some tough songs with power and skill. His physicality as beast was convincing and true, and he also brought some great comedy moments.
Children's BAFTA winner and Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer plays Fairy Bon Bon. In my opinion, Harmer’s interpretation of a pantomime fairy is the best I have ever seen. Fairy Bon Bon is not your traditional fairy who waves her wand and makes everything right - instead, she cracks numerous jokes and has a fantastic rap battle with the villain. It was an honour to see Harmer perform this role, and her platformed trainers looked great with her fairy dress too! I would be particularly interested in seeing Dani Harmer’s Fairy again in the future as it was a refreshing take on this pantomime trope.
Beauty and the Beast’s dame: Polly La Plonk is Leon Craig - no stranger to a pantomime! Craig had the audience in the palm of their hand, with brilliant comedy chops and a plethora of stunning outfits too. Just when you thought Craig’s performance cannot get any better, they sing with some lovely vocals!
Polly’s daughter Louis La Plonk fills the show with laughter by showcasing his silly antics. This role played by Phil Reid had me in stitches throughout and gave a very impressive little sketch about a Donkey - but I will let you go and see the show to find out what that is.
This year’s villain is the vain and horrible Hugo Pompidou played by Phil Atkinson. This character was well-thought-out by Atkinson and made audience members swoon with his muscles and his charming face. His performance was a standout for his acting skills brought the character to life and he carried this well throughout the show.
Other members of the cast included David Alcock as Belle’s Father ‘Clement’ who was fabulous. And the shows impeccable ensemble featuring: Kathy Bancroft, Christie Burgoyne, Hattie Dibb, Christopher Edward, Dominic Hansford and Yasmin Riley.
The final thing worth a mention was the hilarious writing by Jon Monie which cleverly carried the story with relevant jokes for all ages - as well as a number of innuendos thrown in for older members of the audience. Lovely direction from George Ure, slick and impressive choreography by Alex Codd and gorgeous musical direction by Arlene McNaught who kept the music lively with the magnificent pantomime band.
Overall, this is one of the most magical pantomime’s in the North of England this year and I would absolutely recommend you pairing this with a trip to York’s Christmas Markets to go and see it! It is full of everything you would like to see in a panto and more, and I will definitely returning next year for their production of Cinderella!
Get yourself to the Grand Opera House, York before the 5th January 2025, to see this years beast of a panto! You don’t want to miss it, It is a beauty! You can grab some tickets from here. And Have a very lovely christmas!
19th January 2024
Robbie Davies | Robbie’s Backstage Bants
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