The production team of Jeanette Appleton (Director), Sarah Cosgrove (MD) and choreographers Amy Appleton and Olivia Ambery (with assistance from Lily Saxelby and Millie Quine) have succeeded in producing a spectacular version of this show.
From the opening scene, the colourful and cleverly assembled costumes (Leo Appleton and The Academy), enhanced by Annie Follett’s lighting design worked a treat.
From the giggling super silly ‘silly girls’ (Florence Rees, Libby Murphy and Beth Cassidy), to the clear narration from Annabelle Furnell, Elsie Acton, Beatrice Allen and Ruth Cosgrove, the comedy had really been brought out in the script and we could hear every word.
The ‘inanimate objects’ were a great team: Martha Needham as a bubbly Babbette and Jessica Molloy as a regal Madame de la Grande Bouche were joined by a very cute Chip (Phoebe Molloy with a very clever costume) and the wise Mrs Potts (Scarlett Davis) who sang a beautiful, sympathetic ‘Beauty and the Beast’.
They were joined by the double act of Toby Cosgrove as a first-rate Lumiere (with a great French accent) and Molly Carragher as a comedic Cogsworth who worked really well together.
The baddies were played with relish by the excellent Abi Cassidy as a strong and confident Gaston with Lilly Little as his simpering sidekick Lefou.
Pippa Tate (Maurice), Florence Cairns, Ava Summersall, Clara Lyttleton and George Cassidy all said their supporting lines with great confidence.
The stars of this show were quite rightly Beauty and the Beast. Isaac Heron commanded the stage with his presence and authority as the Beast with clear dialogue and also showed his softer side when wooing Belle.
Anna Maria Latorre as Belle is a star in the making. Every spoken word and sung note was given a move or a facial expression and her singing was a delight.
Shout out to the huge support network of Chaperones and helpers that allow these youth shows to be staged. It is all worth while when you see over 40 beaming faces at the end of the first half belting out the last note of ‘Be Our Guest’ and having a wonderful time.