Presented by Stage Door Entertainment
Written and Directed by Mark Kydd
Review by Hunter King
Hiya pals! As we get closer and closer to Christmas, panto season is in full swing, and Stage Door Entertainment has a hit with Beauty and the Beast: The Pantomime. The show takes the fairy tale as you may know it and plants it firmly right in Portobello. The show starts with our narrator, Will-O’-The-Wisp (Erin Robertson), bringing the magical energy into the room before we are quickly introduced to our villain, Beira (Christine Mills), the Queen of Winter, who is in a constant battle with Angus (Grant Maciver), the Prince of Summer. Before long, we open the storybook to a page on one of the wintry streets of Portobello and meet Laird Munro (Christopher Craig) and his daughter, Bella (Sarah Alexandra Brown).
To round out our cast, in walks (or rather, scoots) the baker with the same old bread and rolls to sell, but in our story, the baker is our dame, Bonnie Scone (Alec Westwood). She barrels in with her son, Tattie Scone (Ross Jamieson), and immediately hijinks ensue. The full ensemble brings the proper panto energy to Portobello, never leaving the audience with a dull moment. Robertson starts the show with a natural flair of a pixie and never lets up. She is playing to the back of the auditorium every step of the way, and truly feels like she was ripped directly out of a magical land. Her impressive vocals and consistent meter make her a suitable narrator for the story.
Brown and Maciver make for a great couple as Bella and the Beast, both of whom may be the strongest vocally of the cast. Brown impresses with her rendition of Katy Perry’s “Roar” and blows the roof off the town hall with a few impressive octave-high notes. Maciver, on the other hand, has a natural gruffness to his voice, giving him a folk sound that is not often seen in pantomimes. His Mumford-and-Sons-style singing was perfect for his character, and often contributed to his character feeling out of place, which worked perfectly as he played the misunderstood Beast.
Craig, Jamieson, and Westwood provide the comedy that is needed for a holiday panto. Jamieson and Westwood have a natural energy as mother and son, and commonly play off each other in a way that feels both authentic and heightened for this silly, goofy show. Jamieson may have earned my biggest laugh of the night when, after being friend-zoned by Bella, he burst into a fantastic rendition of “I’ll Be There For You,” the iconic theme song of Friends. Although she wasn’t the primary focus of this panto, Westwood’s Bonnie was able to garner a lot of attention, especially from the children of the audience, with her natural delivery and direct engagement.
Mills’ Beira was honestly one of the most awe-inspiring villains I have seen in a panto. Her delivery of her lines with a consistent evil cadence was only ever interrupted with incredible musical moments. Her renditions of “Abracadabra” and “I Am What I Am” were standout moments of the show. Mills fully embodied her inner theatre diva in the best way possible; this was her show, and we were there to enjoy it. Seeing her fall into the splits while belting the end of her 11 o’clock number– she earned those confetti cannons.
The other big standout of the production was its flawless sound and lighting design. Ian Cunningham and Laura Hawkins brought the necessary flair of a panto, with Cunningham’s sound being crystal clear the entire performance. There were moments where I questioned if the actors were singing on pre-recorded tracks, simply because their sound mixing was so flawless, it felt too good to be live. I quickly understood that was not the case, and that the cohesion between the actors and the sound operators was simply excellent. Hawkins’ lighting design felt masterful as well, giving the feeling of a King’s Theatre style panto, while clearly operating with a more local budget.
Mark Kydd’s script is fitting for the show, and despite a few dated jokes, which were even acknowledged within the script, it brought the necessary holiday spirit to Portobello with smart song choices and just the right amount of Scottish holiday cheer. The show is definitely worth the commute, and excites me for whatever Stage Door has in store next.
A Show Which Excites
Beauty and the Beast: The Pantomime runs at The Portobello Town Hall until December 28th
Running time: Two hours with one interval
Review by Hunter King (contact@corrblimey.uk)
Hunter is a 2024 Master’s graduate of the University of Edinburgh and current doctoral candidate with a thesis focused on experimental theatre in Edinburgh. He has been a theatre practitioner for over a decade having worked in many capacities including as a director, actor, stage manager, front of house manager, and technician as well as others. Prior to moving to Edinburgh, Hunter was a high school English teacher in the United States. His passion for the written word as well as his passion for live performance are what motivated him to become a writer for this publication.
