Arts

Theatre Review: Beauty & The Beast

Presented by: The South Coast Choral & Arts Society
Reviewed: 15 October, 2022

Beauty & The Beast is a big show for an amateur group to put on, especially if you want to do the show justice. The South Coast Choral & Arts Society have indeed done it justice, with a splendid production that’s packing out the Victor Harbor Town Hall this October.

Only the Disney corporation could take a famous, Stockholm syndrome-based fairy-tale and turn it into a blockbuster animated movie, musical stage show, and live-action musical movie. There’s so much wrong with the story and so many of its ideals that it can be hard to look past the messages it sends. But once you do, it’s good Disney fun.

Eloise Morriss has assembled a talented cast, and her direction of them is quite good – impressive in fact, when you consider that this is her directorial debut. Jemmah Sims as Belle is hard to fault, and Chris Stevenson as the Beast is extremely well-suited to the role (I mean that in the nicest possible way). His voice alone sets the character perfectly.

Flynn Turley’s Lumiere is excellent, and he deserves special mention for holding the candlesticks from his costume above his shoulders for nearly the entire show. Lukas Barker (Lefou) also deserves a mention for the way he remained in character constantly, even when not the scene focus, and without pulling focus from what the audience should be paying attention to.
There’s no denying that the show has a couple of boring songs, and there was the occasional microphone issue on the night we attended, but nothing really to detract from what is a high quality production.

A show like this requires a monumental costuming effort, and the costuming team (too many individuals to mention each here) have achieved a result that is quite impressive. Likewise, the set and props are clever and intriguing.

Beauty & The Beast is playing until October 29th, and is a must-see for any theatre-lovers in the Fleurieu Peninsula area. And if you’re from Adelaide and you’re wondering if it’s worth the drive, I can assure you it is.

Reviewed by: Doug Phillips

Venue: Victor Harbor Town Hall
Season: 14 – 29 October, 2022
Duration: 2.5 hours (including intermission)
Tickets: $18 – $25
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=928822&embed

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