Beauty and the Beast

by Ron Hall
December 4, 5 and 6, 2003
Directed by Ann Westcott
Music by Bernadette Rogers
Produced by Peter Unsworth Stage Manager, Geoff Stretton
Lighting by Terry Bullworthy, Jonathan Partridge and Charlie Manton
Scenery by Judith Watson and Sue McRoberts

Other parts and the Chorus of villagers and courtiers played by Sally Stretton, Linda Nash, Gary Denby, Barrie Griffin, Alan Watson and the Junior Players.

Set in the village of Petitpois, in deepest rural France. The Beauty is Belle, daughter of M. and Mme Camembert. The Beast is Prince Andre, who has rejected the advances of the evil enchantress Grottilda and suffers a transformation which can only be cured by true love.

Madame Camembert, Alphonse and Esmeralda

Spring in Petitpois and the arrival of Alphonse(David Eyes), on rollerskates, gets the panto off to a flying start.
Alphonse's mother, Madame Camembert(Matthew Tasker) and his girlfriend Esmeralda (Carrie Bedford) add to the chaos.

Alphonse's sister,Belle, sent by Madame Camembert to the village well, meets a handsome stranger. His name is Andre(Lynne Gardiner-Jones) and over a bucket of water, they fall in love.

The Rose Fairy (Penny Avery) smiles on their romance, for Andre is really a prince from the mountains above Petitpois

Andre's neighbour, the enchantress Grottilda(Sara McKay),who had her eye on him for a husband, is outraged and vows revenge.

When Andre refuses her proposal of marriage, Grottilda turns him into an ugly Beast. The Rose Fairy gives the Beast a magic rose. Andre will only regain his human form if someone will love him before the rose dies.

Hercule Camembert (Mick Hawes) leaves his family and, together with his faithful horse, Hortense, sets out on a journey through the mountains to Nice

Meanwhile, the rich landlord and innkeeper of Petitpois, Napoleon (Mike Jackson), importunes the beautiful Belle.

Hercule has been detained at the Beast's chateau. Hortense returns home alone.

With the help of the Rose Fairy, Belle goes to rescue her father

Napoleon threatens the Camemberts with eviction unless they pay the rent or allow him to marry Belle. To raise the rent, they offer to wallpaper the haunted attic at the village inn.

With Hercule Camembert, head of their business as painters and decorators, away, they make a terrible mess of it. Not helped, of course, by a trio of ghosts or by Esmeralda.

Wallpapering the haunted attic complete with ghosts

Belle arrives at the Beast's chateau. He agrees to release her father if she will stay with him. The Lord Chamberlain (Don Hussey) protests in vain.

The Beast hopes that Belle will come to love him before the rose dies.

The Beast
(Tim Williams)

Exchanging his rollerskates for a scooter, Alphonse knocks his mother flat. It is all part of the celebration of spring coming to the valley

Hercule returns to Petitpois and tells his tale of woe. Belle is captive of the Beast. The angry villagers vow to rescue her and set off for the chateau in the mountains.

	When Napoleon and the villagers threaten to kill the Beast, Belle declares her love and Andre is restored. The Rose Fairy softens Napoleon's heart and turns him into a benevolent landlord
Grottilda tries one last time to get her way, but a spell turns her into a Minigrottilda(Clare McKay), too small to work any evil magic.

The wedding of Prince Andre and Belle