There have been many great things that have come out of Wilenhall, including the world-famous locks industry, one of the biggest branches of The Range in the UK and is very close to IKEA!
Now it’s time to add one more. Willenhall Musical Theatre Company. I am saying that after watching their incredible production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
Full disclosure, this review is partially written by my 9-year-old daughter who had more interest in this show than I, mainly because she was dressed as Belle and I wasn’t!
Regardless, this, as I’ve said, was excellent. I always attend amateur productions with trepidation; only due to sometimes having been forced to watch some awful shows. This was definitely NOT one these times.
Willenhall’s execution of this loved story was perfect. It was slick, vibrant, well directed and above all, professionally performed by all on stage. Including the chorus which I don’t always say. There wasn’t a rogue performer in sight.
I am assuming that I am speaking to a connoisseur of Disney musical so don’t need to explain the story of Beauty and the Beast. But just in case you have been living under a rock for your whole life, Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, played by the divine Jade Dale, who has her head in a book constantly whilst looking after her aging inventor dad, played by James Collins (Spamalot, Oliver) in a small French village.
Belle, who’s name means beauty, has a some unwanted attention from the misogynistic lump of muscle that is Gaston (played by the rather tall Simon McGee (Guys and Dolls, Half a sixpence). Along with his sidekick and general punch bag, Lefou played by the very energetic and brilliant James Totney(Sister Act, La Cage Aux Folles). The advances are not welcome as Belle is looking for love not a beast. Ironic as that is what she ends up falling in love with (spoiler alert!).
Whilst on his travels, dad gets lost in the woods and stumbles across an enchanted castle where he seeks sanctuary from the dark. Whilst there, he is met with some rather strange and unbelievable characters who are trapped in the castle due to a spell cast many years before.
He is met by a excentric French candelabra called Lumiere played by the ever giving and all round entertainer that is Will Phipps (Mary Stevens Hospice panto’s, Priscilla, Queen of the desert) and his hapless clock friend, Cogsworth, played by Craig Griffiths (Sweeney Todd, Rocky Horror Show) who look after their master, Prince Adam, AKA The Beast, played by the rather wonderful Daniel Haddon (Aladdin, Calamity Jane) who was turned into a beast after refusing to help an enchantress who forced the castles residents to live as objects unless the Beast found love before the last petal of a rose fell.
Other notable performances by Kelly Ashman (Crazy for you, Thoroughly Modern Millie) as Mrs. Potts and Oliver Rudge (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Peter Pan) as Chip (practically just a head!).
Having seen the professional production of Beauty and the Beast at the Birmingham Hippodrome last year, I had that as the bar. This came very close second. Wonderfully directed by Alf Rai, choregraphed by Lindsey Vickers and all brought together under the expert baton of musical director Rob Murray, this is a show worth getting tickets for. That said, as this is an almost sold-out performance, you need to be quick.
The final word is from Amelia…..I LOVED IT! 5 STARS!!
The show runs till Sunday 28th April at the Dormston Mill Theatre, Sedgley with tickets available from seaty.co.uk
