It is the first Easter pantomime we’ve been to, and while different to Christmas versions it has the same focus on family fun and laughs. Lewis Devine is hilarious as French Frank. There is more than a touch of Norman Wisdom about his mischief and capers. He never stops running around the stage and his energy is infectious. Along with his side-kick, Si Foster as Potty Polly, the pair have the whole audience in stitches.

I took along two of my grandkids, Charlie aged 9 and Sofia, aged 4. You can see their verdicts in the videos below and it’s fair to say, they loved it. Charlie laughed all the way through. He thought it was the funniest thing he’d ever seen.

The whole cast is strong and the young ones quickly fell in love with heroine, Belle played by Kiera-Nicole Brennan, who they instantly recognised from Channel 5 Milkshake.

The pantomime follows the classic fairy-tale story of beautiful and bookish Belle who falls in love with the most unexpected of princes (James Lacey), while he is under a spell in the form of a beast. Philip McGuinness plays the brutish, Gaston who is also after Belle’s heart. And as the adventure ensues there is some mickey taking for the adults with Madam Botox (Hannah Moncrieff) while dancer, Sarah Walker adds magical pantomime sparkle as Fairy Rose.

The sets are enchantingly colourful and the scene with the dancing wolves has everyone entranced. Like all good pantomimes it comes jam-packed with popular hits to have the kids up on their feet and dancing in the aisles. It’s fantastic feel-good, family fun.

Regal Entertainments’ Beauty and the Beast is at Stockport Plaza from 18 – 22 April 2019. For details visit: www.stockportplaza.co.uk

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Since the early 1990s, however, Disney seems to have had the monopoly on it. There’s no denying Disney’s animated film is a wonderful version, but the classic fairytale, with its themes of sin and redemption through love, lends itself to a variety of tellings. David Bintley’s sumptuous ballet, first seen in 2003, is equally magical.

And while there aren’t any songs, there is a captivating score from Canadian composer, Glenn Buhr. The Royal Ballet Sinfonia, under conductor Paul Murphy, create a soundtrack so immersive to the dance we sense we are in a different world where at times we hear the roar of a beast.

From the start Bintley draws us into his narrative, with the set opening like a huge storybook and Belle in her element among a library of books.

Philip Prowse’s extravagant set design seamlessly opens and closes, slides and folds to draw us deeper into this gothic fairytale.  Mark Jonathan’s dim atmospheric lighting is used to full effect when we enter the enchanted forest leading to the Beast’s Castle, which shimmers with gold décor and flickering candles.

There are some clever theatrical tricks such as animated birds, magic chairs, which sweep across the room when needed, and wine that pours itself. These add to magic but never detract from the dance, which ranges from the breathtaking corps works where Belle (Yvette Knight) appears flying high, carried on the wings of a flock of ravens, to the detailed character performances of Belle’s father (Rory Mackay) and sisters Fière (Laura Perkiss) and Vanité (Samara Downs).

The Beast’s ball provides light relief with some terrific comedy cameos from Laura Day as Grandmère and James Barton as Monsieur Cochon. But it is the dark, brooding presence of the Beast (Brandon Lawrence) that has us hooked on every entrance. It is a challenging role, not least because of having to convey emotion while dancing in a heavy costume and a mask.

Next to the delicate Knight, Lawrence’s Beast is both terrifying and tender. This underlying edge of tension is finally lifted in a joyful final pas de deux, when Belle’s love transforms him back into a handsome Prince.

Beauty and the Beast marks the final tour for choreographer David Bintley after 24 years as Artistic Director of Birmingham Royal Ballets. The production feels like a celebration, not just of his work, but of the art itself. That a classical ballet of such high calibre in dance, design and score has been produced in the 21^st century gives a signal that this is an art form very much alive. And, while largely aimed at grown-ups, it was clear by the reaction of youngsters in the audience, this is a ballet that captivates old and young alike.

Beauty and the Beast is at The Lowry, Salford Quays on 20 – 23 March 2019 and on national tour until May 2019. For details or to book tickets, visit brb.org.uk.

Read our interview with David Bintley as he reflects on 24 years as Director of BRB.

Find out what it takes to be a Principal Dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet in our interview with Delia Mathews who appears as Belle in selected performances of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Beauty and the Beast.

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When and why did you first start dancing?

Delia: “I started when I was 5-years-old. Basically, I went to dancing because my sister did it; I just went along and wanted to be like her”.

What are the best things about being a ballet dancer? And what are the biggest challenges?

Delia: “I love being on stage, telling a story and being able to take people away from their everyday lives, forgetting their problems for those two hours in the theatre. Also, Birmingham Royal Ballet is a touring company so we get to see the world quite a lot, which is cool. I guess the biggest challenge is that we do long hours and it’s hard on your body, but when you do a performance it’s all worthwhile”.

As you’ve mentioned, ballet is a pretty demanding profession – there are long hours, it’s very physical and you have to travel a lot. What motivates you?

Delia: “In rehearsals and in class you’re constantly working towards a performance so that, hopefully, when you get on stage you don’t need to think about all the details; it should be ingrained in your body. We work hard so that in the show it all comes together, and you have that wonderful moment that makes up for everything. I am also motivated by always trying to better myself; trying do a better performance than last time or the time before that”.

Can you describe a typical day in your life when you’re on tour?

Delia: “Our shows usually finish quite late, so I’ll get up later the next morning and have breakfast, a coffee and relax with friends. We then have our daily ballet class and the rest of the day depends on my performance schedule. If I’m dancing in the matinee show I need to get ready a lot faster. If I have to wait until the evening performance, then I’ll go for a longer lunch; I’ll have something filling like pasta.

“My go-to pre-show snack is a honey and banana sandwich because I know that’s going to be give me energy with making me feel too full. Next, I’ll have a bit of a rest, maybe do some physio and then start getting ready for the show at around 5.30pm. However, this is my routine on tour now I’m a principal dancer; it was very different when I was in the corps de ballet, which is non-stop all the time. Every role is different, and every dancer will have their own methods of getting ready and preparing for the show”.

How do you get into character before a show?

Delia: “Belle’s hairstyle takes quite a long time, and obviously I can’t do anything else while someone’s doing my hair, so that’s a good time to be quiet and think about the ballet, the story and start getting into character. It’s a rare moment of reflection which enables me to focus on the emotional aspects of the role as I’m literally being transformed into someone else. Afterwards, I’ll do my own warm-up and practice some of the steps. I like not having to be Delia in roles – not being myself on stage – I actually really enjoy that”.

Will audiences be familiar with the story of Beauty and the Beast or is it quite different from the famous Disney film?

Delia: “I think the story is pretty much the same but there are a few key differences. It starts with Belle reading a fairy tale before she is transported into the world of her story. It’s a wistful moment, with Belle wondering, ‘Why can’t anything like that ever happen to me? Why can’t I have that fairy tale adventure?’ Slowly, the story of Beauty and the Beast builds around her. It’s definitely not a twinkly, Disney version of the story; it’s quite a lot darker. However, all the family will still enjoy it – just don’t go expecting to see Belle in the bright yellow ballgown! There aren’t any dancing teapots, but we do have a chair which comes to life, so there’s still a lot of magic involved”.

What’s it like coming back to dance the role of Belle for a second time? 

Delia: “I always really enjoy coming back to dance a role again because the first time you do it, you’re really focusing on the steps and the musicality. However, no matter how long it’s been, when the music comes on in rehearsals muscle memory kicks in and you do automatically remember a lot of the steps. It’s really nice to have that base knowledge, so you’re at a better starting point second time around and can start to develop the finer details. Last time I danced with Iain Mackay as the Beast, which was really great because he’d done the role a lot, so he was able to pass on little tricks. This time I’m dancing with Tyrone Singleton, who has also done this ballet a lot, and we’re working on building a rapport together”.

What do you think makes a good partnership, both in rehearsal and on stage?

Delia: “You have to have mutual respect, I think that’s really important, and chemistry. Coordination is also hugely important because everyone is slightly different. You need to know each other so well that if something goes wrong, for example, you know what the other person is going to do. In a really good performance, when everything comes together, you are completely in sync with one another and it feels really nice”.

What is your favourite part of Beauty and the Beast?

Delia: “I really like the final pas de deux, when the Beast has transformed back into a human. Belle is really confused because she fell in love with the Beast, but he’s disappeared and there’s a stranger in his place. There’s a really nice moment, which reflects a scene earlier in the ballet, where the Prince touches her hand to his heart and she realises that this is still the person she fell in love with”.

Delia Mathews appears as Belle in selected performances of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Beauty and the Beast, on national tour from January to May 2019 and coming to The Lowry, Salford Quays on 20 – 23 March 2019. For details or to book tickets, visit brb.org.uk.

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Channel 5 Milkshake’s Kiera-Nicole Brennan leads the cast as the show’s Beauty heroine, Belle who falls for the unlikeliest of princes, who has been cursed into the form of a hideous Beast.

Also competing for Belle’s heart is Philip McGuinness as the brutish Gaston. Lewis Devine, whose previous comic panto roles include Buttons in Cinderella, and as Muddles in Snow White at St Helens Theatre Royal, is all set to cause mayhem and mischief as French Frank. Sarah Walker adds extra sparkle as Fairy Rose. And the hilarious, Si Foster completes the cast as Potty Polly.

Beauty and the Beast Producer, Chantelle Nolan says: “We’re very excited to be bringing this production of Beauty and the Beast to Stockport. The show went down a storm at St Helens Theatre Royal during October half-term so we can guarantee a magical panto time at Stockport for Easter 2019.”

This enchanting version of the classic fairy-tale is part of a growing trend for Easter pantomimes and has all the comedy, songs and audience interaction you’d expect from a traditional festive version.

The Stockport Plaza Manager, Ted Doan says: “The Plaza has a history of providing the finest and most sensational affordable family entertainment for all ages to enjoy with our magnificent Easter Pantomimes and welcoming Regal Entertainments back this year with Beauty and the Beast will ensure that this annual tradition receives the right royal treatment that only Regal can provide!”

Beauty and the Beast runs from Thursday 18 – Monday 22 April 2019. Visit the website for more details.

For a chance to win tickets for you and your family to the 1pm performance of Beauty and the Beast on Thursday 18 April 2019, email your full name to competitions@quayslife.com with Beauty and the Beast in the subject line.

Alternatively to enter retweet and follow us on Twitter @quayslife; or share our competition and like our QuaysLife page on Facebook. 

The competition closes at noon on Friday 15 March 2019.

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