Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE PANTOMIME, Portobello Town Hall

Following the immensely Popular Productions of Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk, the much loved Porty Panto is back in 2025 for another Christmas show, this time giving the immortal tale of Beauty and the Beast the pantomime treatment with a Scottish twist.

With a British institution like the pantomime, in which there are hundreds of productions every year around the holidays, it is very easy for one to assume that making a good panto comes easy. After all, the sign of a good theatre show is one which makes it look seamless. However, the line between good and bad is much easier to cross than you’d think, and going from good to great is no small feat. Whilst pantos are known for being cheesy, over the top, and ultimately campy, capturing the charm of it all is where some fail. With that said, this production of Beauty and the Beast has plenty of charm.

The story begins with Angus, Prince of Summer (Grant MacIver) as he is cursed by the wicked Beira, Queen of Winter (performed by understudy Lisa Goldie for this performance). Transformed into a beast and confined to his castle, he dreams of companionship. After a run in with the beast, Laird’s (Christopher Craig) only daughter Bella (Sarah Alexandra Brown) must live with the Beast in order to spare her father’s life.

It’s a tale as old as time and brought to us in dazzling form. Much of the production looks fantastic, with some lovely sets and gorgeous lighting. Perhaps most eyecatching, however, are the costumes. Taking note from Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast, the recreation of Belle’s ball dress is marvellous, and the costumes as a whole are just beautiful to look at.

Naturally, due to the source material, the show has a strong foundation. Thus, instead of just looking good, things flow nicely, too. The structure and the pacing of the story is solid and the show flies by. Of course, the majority of the show is new written material, some of which works and some of which doesn’t.

The saying goes that a joke is often only as good as the performer telling it, in which case much of the Beauty and the Beast cast are up to the task. That said, there are some jokes here that work well enough and others that fall flat. Whilst some outdated jokes are par for the course with a panto, there are some in this production that simply failed to get any laughs. A good example of this is one joke about the band the Ting Tings. If the question you’re asking is “how many audience members remember them in 2025?” then the answer, based on laughs, is not very many.

Equally so, there are also some terrific gags and jokes that keep you laughing. Perhaps most impressively, in a year where every single pantomime in the country is going to be making “six seven” jokes, this production pulled one off that was genuinely subtle, clever, and bloody hilarious.

The performer who delivers that joke is Ross Jamieson, easily one of the show's highlights. Sporting an incredibly physical style of humour, reminiscent of a young Lee Evans, Jamieson plays Bella’s goofy best pal Tattie Scone. Regardless of how good or bad a joke is, Jamieson always gets laughs and consistently elevates the material and everybody else on stage. When he is on stage, the energy in the room is electric.

Admittedly, not every actor in this production brings quite as much quality or excitement to their role. There are no particularly bad performances, though there are certainly a few which leave a lot to be desired, whether it be through the repetitive nature of their delivery or, simply, lacking originality.

However, the best actor on stage all night is easily Sarah Alexandra Brown as Bella. As a performer, she gives a certain weight to every role that you just can’t help but gravitate towards, and her brilliant dancing and singing alongside her performance shows her as a real triple threat. There is one musical number during the show in which she sings Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’, which will leave you with goosebumps. Regardless of the quality of a show, the other actors on stage, or where the production is taking place, the next great actors can be found anywhere, and Sarah Alexandra Brown is clearly a future star of the stage. 

Beauty and the Beast: The Pantomime may not be the perfect show, with some weaker performances throughout the cast and some jokes that fail to land, but it has a hell of a lot of charm. With plenty of laughs, some great musical numbers and two brilliant performances from Sarah Alexandra Brown and Ross Jamieson, this year’s Porty Panto is a fun time for all the family, and sure to be another hit.

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