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If you love Panto you'll love Beauty & The Beast!

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If you are a fan of panto you'll know that there are numerous set pieces that every panto must have -  the corny jokes that make you groan, the audience song, "it's behind you!", the throwing of sweets, booing the baddie and so on, and if we could play "panto bingo" at Beauty and the Beast in Harpenden Public Halls this Christmas we'd definitely be calling "full house!". 

MGTH were lucky enough to be invited along to the Press opening of this year's show produced by Polka Dot Pantomimes.  It was a packed audience that day and you could sense from the start that they were going to be up for joining in with all the required calling out and singing, which always makes for a good show. 

There were a couple of theatre schools in the audience, perhaps hoping to pick up some tips for future performances and they certainly would have got that from Mark Two as Dame Dolly Doughnut.  His experience of performing in over 40 pantos certainly shone through and the obligatory outlandish outfits, which he and his wife make themselves, were fabulously flamboyant.  I lost count of how many there were, but every time he (she) came on stage there had been a costume change (and some must have been at lightning speed!)

The role of the Fairy narrator is one you can often be forgiven for forgetting about after the curtain drops as it's the part that's usually there just to move the story on (lest we forget in amongst all the craziness that there is actually a story!) but not Fairy Flambe played by Sarah Brown.  What a singing voice - and she gets to wow the audience with it more than once during the show.  It definitely felt like a little bit of the West End had come to Harpenden.

I have to admit that I've never watched TOWIE and I had no idea who Ricky Rayment was, but he is this year's TV star in the cast and he was very good and very funny in his caricature of Gaston. So much so, that I came away thinking it was a shame that he wasn't in it more!

Anyone who attended Snow White last year might recognise Kate Eason returning to play the baddie, Grimalkin, the evil witch - a role that she does so well.  Apparently character of the panto baddie is her favourite one to play, and it certainly shows. 

I'm pleased to say that it's a really strong cast throughout, but there is one character who is undoubtedly the star of the show - and your kids will love him!  I won't give it away, but let's just say he plays Belle's best friend (and it's not French Franc - though Richard Marquiss was great in this role too!)  You'll just have to book your tickets and go and find out for yourself.

Beauty and the Beast is on at Harpenden Public Halls until Monday 30th December.


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