He's a beast and she's a beauty with a beastly temper, so when they come together sparks fly. In Phil Porter's new version of the fairytale, the pair's love grows and blooms through gardening.
Belle is keeping the family farm together – despite hindrance from her waste-of-space sister and younger brother – when news comes that the goods lost at sea belonging to their former merchant father have been recovered. Belle, who enjoys their new life, thinks they should forget the past and accept that their circumstances have changed. But, of course, there wouldn't be a show unless dad set off to recover his booty – with predictably dire consequences.
As he did with last year's Cinderella, Porter offers a skewed take on a familiar story, and although you might argue that a plain tale simply told is often best, there are some entertaining diversions along the way. Some, like the anger management consultant sent to cure Belle of her tantrums, are perhaps a step too far. Others, such as the prince whose arms and legs sprout out of the soil, the ghostly boatman who takes travellers to the castle and the comic little mole-like creature, are great fun.
The show really hits its stride when Belle arrives at the castle, a place of glimmering chandeliers where the servants speak a wonderfully inventive language called Blabbersquish, in which food is called squaffle and tears are sorrydrops. The back story of Belle's mum's disappearance is underdeveloped, and it's not always clear why Belle is so angry, although anyone surrounded by a family of such wasters deserves to be. The pantomime sometimes lacks magic but never energy, and Belle's happy every after feels earned, not given.
