Review: Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Royal Bath (From Wiltshire Times)

Review: Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Theatre Royal Bath

9:51am Thursday 1st December 2011 in Theatre & Arts By Mike Wilkinson, Senior Reporter

Theatre Royal Bath until Sunday, December 4 An ambitious set with unwieldy furniture made for some uncomfortable finishes to well performed songs in the Bath Light Operatic Group’s production of Beauty and the Beast.

The stage was plunged into blackout quicker than you can say ‘Be my guest’ more times than one can remember – obviously to enable the stage hands to trundle out another enormous set.

A simpler, less complicated set would have been more effective.

Having said that there were some merits – a brilliant use of on-stage fireworks, dry ice, a gauze curtain and some fantastic costumes all made for a fun-filled affair to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Anna Penwarden put the beautiful into Belle with a strong voice which could take her far, while Trowbridge resident Nick Feierabend, who was featured in the Wiltshire Times last week, muscled in a hilarious performance as the local hunter and town hero, Gaston.

There was a good rapport between Geoff White’s Lumiere and Dave Key-Pugh’s Cogsworth.

Stage director Bex Key and director Jeremy Tustin should be pleased with themselves. There were some brilliant moments in the choreography – from the scary wolves in the forest to the animated furniture in the castle coming to life in ‘Be my guest’.

The production runs until Sunday.