Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, Citizen's Theatre

One of the most anticipated events in the first Citizen's Theatre season following reopening is Beauty and the Beast. The Citz is known for its slightly darker festive offering than a traditional panto, and this year’s twisted tale is written by Lewis Hetherington and co-directed by Joanna Bowman and Dominic Hill.

Baron Aaron (Tyler Collins) has made some questionable business decisions and, as a result, has had to move his two daughters from their grand home into a woodland shack. Bright (Holly Howden Gilchrist) is an inventor who has no time for whimsy and Beauty (Israela Efomi) is learning how to behave like a lovely young lady at her father’s request.

After an encounter with a mysterious and terrifying beast, Baron Aaron offers one of his daughters to go and live in the castle as a trade-off for being let go himself. Beauty and her loyal cat Mr Mittens (Michael Guest) enter the castle and are taken aback by what they find...

Nicholas Marshall is not your traditional beast. He’s cute and colourful and Beauty starts to grow fond of him. The Beast has been placed under a curse by a dark fairy (Elicia Day) and he hopes for Beauty to be the one to break it.

This version of Beauty and the Beast has some surprisingly dark moments, but the children of Glasgow don’t seem remotely phased. This production is fun, silly, and magical, capturing the imagination of an audience of all ages. 

Gorgeous to look at, Rachael Canning’s design is beautiful and a little bit spooky. The castle is beautifully designed, featuring moving staircases and magical doors that lead to unexpected places.

This is not Beauty and the Beast as you know it, it’s a beautifully told festive fairytale packed with mischief and magic. The message is about being your true self and the result is a truly heartwarming treat. 

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