In this Disney stage version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, adapted from the original 1740 novel by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, opens with the backstory of an arrogant Prince, cursed for his cruelty, who has been turned in to a beast. He is given a deadline via an enchanted rose. The Prince must learn to love and earn love in return before the last petal of the rose falls on his 21st year, or he will remain a beast forever.
Around the same time, Maurice, the father of a beautiful young lady, Belle, has been imprisoned in the Beast’s castle trespassing. Belle is devastated, and makes a desperate plea to the Beast to free her father, and that she will take his place in the castle. The Beast accepts, seeing her not just as a prisoner, but if he can make it with her it will mean that he can break the spell before he permanently stays a beast.
The castle is populated by servants who have, to our comic delight,have transformed in to household objects. They include Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts. These characters act as the matchmakers, organising times when the pair can bond.
There is a major subplot involving the antagonist Gaston, the musical’s real beast – handsome on the outside but hateful on the inside. Gaston leads a torch bearing mob tom the castle to kill the beast before anything can happen.
Thematically, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve’s story rings as clearly as ever. True beauty does not reside in good looks, wealth or position. It resides in our hearts, if they are beating right.
The show’s production values were strong, creating a striking stage world for the actors to work with and in. Court Cassar directed ,and designed an impressive and adaptable set, with assistant Courtney Bell. Peter Hayward was the Musical Director leading a very fine orchestra. Sally Danger was the choreographer with assistance by Olivia Enright, Mitchell Kroll bathed them in a lovely light, Jerome Studdy and Erin Steele’s wig, hair and makeup designs were superb and added so much. There was no credit given to the wide array of bright and colourful costumes which added so much value to the show.
Stepping in to this rarefied stage world, a large cast from the leads, to the supports, the featured ensemble, the featured dance ensemble, to the junior ensemble delivered a rousing production. Molly Owen, a music performance student as the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, impressed in her first big musical outside her studies. Andrew Benson played her father Maurice who was fortunate to have such a loving daughter.
Tom Kelly gave a deeply empathic performance as the troubled Beast and dedicated his fine performance to Kate Thomas. Caleb Hamwood convinced as the villainous Gaston.
Jerome Studdy, Luke Davis and Emily Kimpton played the flamboyantly attired Lumiere, Cogsworth and Mrs Potts. Emily Kimpton, in particular, was a delight.
The wrap. Willoughby Theatre Company has astutely timed this production to fall within the school holidays. I went to a matinee performance attended by plenty of families wth young children snuggling up to their parents. A big part of music theatre is enjoying the spectacle, of the singing, the dancing, the technical effects, the costumes and more, and the audience, from the very young to the elderly, loved every bit of the ride.
Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEST, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice with book by Linda Woolverton, is playing the Concourse, Chatswood until 26th April 2026.
For more information and to book tickets:
visit: www.willoughbytheatreco.com.au or 02 80758177
