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REVIEW: Beauty and the Beast @ Sunderland Empire

Posted on January 27th 2022 by Whats on Northeast

Full of childhood memories, musical numbers and magic, Beauty and the Beast was a spectacle not to be missed. The entire show brought back so many fond childhood memories through the sets, characters and songs. It was a beautiful and enchanting trip down memory lane.

One of the most impressive pieces of the show were the many mechanical sets used in creating the woods, the Beast’s castle and Belle’s village. The detail was a fantastic element to staying true to the original story. The actors were also exceptional and stayed true to each character perfectly. Belle, played by Grace Swaby in this performance, had great vocals and portrayed Belle perfectly. Gaston (Tom Senior) received a fantastic boo during the finale, but only due to his exceptional villainous performance. Lumiere (Gavin Lee), Cogsworth (Thomas Lee-Kidd) and Mrs Potts (Sam Bailey) were the laughs of the show. Each harnessed the true essence of their characters, namely Lumiere! The French accent coupled with the comedy caused the audience to chuckle.

A further source of magic was, of course, the costumes. The outfit’s for Cogsworth, Mrs Potts and Lumiere were incredible and stayed true to the look of the characters in the movie. Of course, the best of all was Belle’s iconic yellow ball gown, the dress every little girl wants to wear! It was absolutely beautiful and received ooh’s and aah’s from the audience when Belle walked down the stairs to meet the Beast for their dance.

Beauty and the Beast is at the Sunderland Empire until Saturday 19th February.

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