A Gala Durham Production
From the team who brought you Cinderella
By Gary Kitching
Directed by Rachel Glover
Musical Supervisor & Arrangements Joshua Tarrier
Musical Director & Additional Arrangements Gabrielle Ball
Choreographer Helen West
Costume Designer Emily Baxendale
Join our adventure in the (totally) French town of Chester-le-Rue!
Step into a world of music, magic, and merriment and join Belle, a bright, bold local lass who dreams of more than just life in the village, her eccentric Auntie Madame Perplexe, an inventor and the wandering Bard Jongleur as they avoid the unwanted attention of village bully and show off Gourmand.
In the mysterious abandoned Château de Pitié pour Moi (or Pity Me castle as the locals call it) there is a terrible curse hanging over it and its inhabitants. Inanimate objects Madame Horloge and Monsieur Brillant come to life, and it is rumoured a terrible Beast also lives there.
Will Belle’s courage and kindness be enough to break the curse? Can love blossom where you least expect it? Expect plenty of laughs, thrills and fun in this magical reimagining of a timeless tale.
Packed with dazzling costumes, songs, and of course, all your favourite panto moments – welcome to the Castle…of Fun!
Running time: approx. two hours and 15 minutes (including interval)
Advisory: Please note that this performance includes strobe lighting, pyrotechnics, smoke and loud noises.
Reviews
“…a panto that deserves to get full houses.” ★★★★ The Reviews Hub
“Beauty and the Beast is a magical and hilarious pantomime packed with local humour, dazzling dancers and unforgettable performances. With a brilliant cast, lively audience interaction and a North East twist on a classic tale, it’s a festive treat for all ages.” Theatre and Tonic
“It’s full of fun, colour and humour. If you’re the mood for some festive cheer, you’ll find it here.” Chronicle
“Beauty and the Beast is engaging to all ages, with an amazing cast full of humour and fun, great story with a local twist and plenty of opportunities for the audience to interact with.” Teesdale Mercury
“The key indicator of a panto’s success is how involved the young audience gets. In this respect, the 2024 (Gala) Durham panto is a success. The families left with smiles on their faces.” North East Theatre Guide
“The girls chuckled all the way through this lush performance of a classic tale…Kieron Michael had them in stitches in his role as Gourmand!” @thegiblingirls, Instagram
“From start to finish, this year’s panto was full of excitement, interaction, fantastic adapted songs we all know and a few extra surprises to keep you on your toes” @raising_the_grey_girls, Instagram
“What an amazing performance this is…definitely one not to be missed” @sophia_and_williams_world, Instagram
“We had the best afternoon watching Beauty and the Beast at Gala Durham…the show was amazing.” @rachaelelizabethbell, Instagram
“It was SO funny, with lots of local jokes, catchy songs and standout performances.” @mum_of_boys_northeast, Instagram
“It was everything you’d hope for in a panto – full of laughs, brilliant performances and a sprinkle of magic that left us grinning from ear to ear.” @north_east_kids, Instagram
“Gala Durham always put on a good show and this is no exception…there are fantastic songs, great crowd interaction and hilarious moments throughout.” @togonthetyne, Instagram
Cast
Belle: Beth Crame
Madame Perplexe: Zoe Lambert
Jongleur: Jude Nelson
Prince Alphonse / The Beast: Suryan Hadrick
Gourmand: Kieron Michael
Monsieur Brillant: Adam Donaldson
Madame Horloge: Sarah Bulmer
Ensemble: Lucas Bradley Benson; Helen Chong; Jordan Jewell; Grace Parkin-Galway; Katie Skelton and Libby Watson
Accessible performances
We will have a number of accessible performances of Beauty and the Beast including BSL (British Sign Language) interpreted performances on Sunday 1 December, 11.00am, Saturday 7 December, 2.00pm and Monday 30 December, 2.00pm; a relaxed performance on Friday 6 December, 1.30pm and a BSL and captioned performance on Tuesday 17 December, 6.30pm.
Audio description
For the first time, we are delighted to be able to offer an audio described performance of Beauty and the Beast on Saturday 7 December, 6.30pm.
Audio description provides a blind or partially blind person with detailed visual descriptions of the performance that they may otherwise miss. It is listened to through a discreet receiver so the performance can be enjoyed with sighted friends and family.
We are also offering touch tours prior to the audio described performance for blind or partially blind audiences. This will be an opportunity to explore the stage, set, costumes, props and more ahead of attending the show. If you are interested in booking for our touch tour, please contact our Box Office on 03000 266 600.
Behind-the-scenes tour
Take a peek behind the curtain of our ROAR-some twist on a tale as old as pantomime with our Beauty and the Beast behind-the-scenes tour. We’re able to offer a limited amount of places to see how the magic is made on Sunday 15 December, 5.45pm. Tour tickets costing £15 are available here.
Tickets
from £20 (Family ticket from £70)
