Pantomime
Beauty and the Beast
The Beacon, Greenock
Mary Brennan
three stars
A VAST plastic cloth is being laid out on the kitchen floor. The Dame is positively bouncing in her boots – she knows what’s coming: squelchy slapstick! Not that any of it will spatter her. Doolally sap, Boabby, will cop the lot at the hands of his gleeful ma - splot! splat! hardy-har-har! Not many pantos can be bothered to mess about with the gloopy stuff of traditional comedy but the Beacon has Imagine Theatre Ltd onside for a second year, and volleys of fun-tastic goo are their company style.
Witty patter that’s primed with pithy local references is a hallmark of Alan McHugh’s writing style, and so Auchterdreich – home to the Beast – is in Inverclyde, more or less where Greenock is. And Auchterdreich is where Dame Betty (Jimmy Chisholm), dunderhead Boabby (Lee Samuel) and Belle fetch up in a lively panto version of a story that’s already a successful cartoon and a musical.
McHugh makes a nifty job of grafting the panto essentials into the romantic narrative, but let’s hear a loud hurrah! for the Beacon cast and local youngsters who don’t miss any of McHugh’s tricks. Chisholm’s Dame has a naughty twinkle to her, a frisky-risque side that boogies her bones when the Beast’s ancient retainer, Angus, creaks into view and gives her the glad eye – Mark Cox is a hilariously randy codger. With a delightfully natural Belle in Brooke Allen, the toweringly growly Beast (Liam Mulvey) lands lucky in love while the forces of darkness – Jane McCarry’s flouncing evil Witch and David Rankine’s flouncing, wannabe stud Hunter Ski – get a full-on come-uppance. Ya beauty!
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