Beauty and the Beast - Lighthouse Theatre Kettering Review

Reviewed by Kathryn 

I was invited to The Lighthouse Theatre for their Gala Performance of their 2024 pantomime, Beauty & The Beast, a co-production between KD Productions and The Lighthouse Theatre. 

As I arrived, the scene was set in the foyer with a great photo opportunity for audience members with a throne, rose and balloons set up for some pre-show fun. 
 
Beauty & The Beast is a classic story which has become a firm favourite with audiences throughout the generations, no doubt helped by the Disney film and musical which my own age group grew up on. 
 
The set was created by Scenic Projects and had a traditional panto visual for the cloths and moving trucks with plenty of glitter to add a magical edge. Scene changes were seamless from the onstage team (stage managed by Mike Balderson) and flys (Ricky Johnson). 
 
Costumes were beautiful - high quality, full of colour and sparkle, especially the finale set! Madame La Cherry Bon-Bon’s outfits became more and more garrish as the show went on which added to the fun of the evening. 
 
Written and directed by Daniel Bell, the story had an excellent pace with something for everyone - from the well drilled dances (choreographed by Jon-Scott Clark) and the amazing vocals (MD’d by Lauren Ronan with Musical arrangements, tracks and original music by Mark Aldous) to the jokes suitable for all the family and the clear storyline with strong acting from all the cast. It’s not always easy to get the balance right for the youngsters and the grandparents but this panto delivers with ease and high quality. 

The cast of six principals, supported by four professional dancers and two junior ensemble dance teams, pack a punch from the opening number - high energy, infectious smiles and joy are shared across the stage from the moment the curtain goes up to every last note of the finale. 
 
Maisie Asbury, as Belle, shines with strength and humour as well as having a cracking voice. Her warmth towards the juniors onstage as well as the audience is evident and ensures she is loved by all from her first entrance. 
 
Mikey Wooster plays Billy Bon Bon, Belle’s brother, and takes on the ‘Buttons’ character with ease and style getting the audience interaction going immediately and maintaining his high energy throughout the show. 
 
Dominic Matteo makes his Lighthouse debut as Madame La Cherry Bon-Bon, mother to Belle and Billy. As previously mentioned, the costumes for Cherry are fantastic and match Dominic’s performance energy. Not only delivering perfect comic timing, his operatic voice adds a fabulous dimension to the character. 
 
Jon-Scott Clark appears as Gastrong, as well as Choreographer. He brings an arrogance to the role which is needed to counter Belle’s sweetness and his rapport with the rest of the company is excellent. 

Jessie Waterfield is fabulously evil as Morgiana, Queen of the Wolves. Glamorous and beautiful, she leads her team of wolves effortlessly through power numbers and dramatic scenes. Jessie’s voice is phenomenal  and adds a wow factor to her dark character. 
 
Finally, Max Cadman as Prince/Beast, controls his voice and physicality to suit each role well. His journey from unloved to loved is evident in his stylised performance and takes the audience with him to gain their love too. 
 
The four dancers, Sophia Thorogood, Joshua Stephens, Evan Taylor Benyacar and Ashley St John are excellent and are an asset to the show providing, not only fantastic routines, but great storytelling too. 
 
The junior ensemble have been well trained and performed with confidence. 

 
Lighting by Gregory Jordan is excellent - there is a great use of effects to create the different scene atmospheres to support with the storytelling as well as a creative flair to heighten the overall production. Sound by Illiyan Iliev supports the story with spooky and magical effects as well as controlling the live vocals. 
 
If you’re looking for a panto that delivers on story, performance, quality and fun for all, The Lighthouse Theatre Beauty & The Beast, is the one to see. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 
Running until 31st December, there are limited tickets available still. Visit  https://lighthousetheatre.co.uk/event/panto-2024/ to book.