Shows

Write your own review of Beauty and the Beast

Peter Kowalczuk
I think it was alright

Siobhan Jones (cast)
I was a street urchin also in Beauty and the Beast and i thought it was a great show with very proffesional actors and a show which was great fun to perform and from what i did see of the show when i wasn't performing, great fun for the audience! The audience was clapping along and getting involved with the catchy songs and hilarious jokes. It felt wonderful to be up on the stage with such a talented group of alrounders and to see such a hudge turn out from the audience each time. I think all of the actors and children who participated in the show had a good time working on it and turned out to be a really great show! Best wishes to all of the cast and everyone who participated! It was great to work with you!

Lesley Farraday
All I heard was positive comments the day I went and I loved it.I do appreciate people have a choice to see a show in whichever theatre they choose but I also recall people threatening to go to the Castle Christmas show not so long ago when the Royal changed its Panto format a couple of years ago.... how people resist change - brave move Castle keep it up - more west end quality please!

Naomi Torrie
I was also one of the street urchins in the Beauty and the Beast. And i thought the show was FANTASTIC! Even though i was seeing the show every other day i still thought it was like my first each time! The director Karl, done an amazing job of the show and so did the actors. With Ben and Lauren with their amazing voices, Vanessa with her hilarious sense of humor and Jemma and Oliver with their fantastic acting skills. What more could you possibly wish for in a christmas show? I think everyone who participated in the show did a really good job and they all put on a well enjoyed show. this show was not only enjoyed by the audience but also by all of the actors aswell. I wish everyone in the show best wishes for the future, and i will be expecting the same quality show next year at the Castle Theatre!

Paul Wright
Having attended the Castle last Christmas for Princess & the pea my reaction this year could not have been more of a contrast.!On the strength of the previous show we eagerly booked for the beauty & the beast,when were collecting our tickets prior to the start several people were demanding their money back. I suppose this should have started a few alarm bells ringing,but we went in expecting to have a really good time inside the theatre.From the kick off this show seemed dull,bleak and a touch sombre,come half time the children and some adults around us were getting restless and like us were making for the exit.!I don't what the second half was like because sadly this was not our cup of tea.Wellingborough is not the West end of London,the only good thing was we got back home quicker.!!

jess findlay (cast)
I was one of the street urchins in beauty and the beast and even though i had seen it many times it felt just as magical all the time. I also got very close to Lauren Adams and I cry every night because I miss her so much! If your'e reading this Lauren, I want to say I think your fab and I will never forget you! Good luck in all your future shows and never forget me!!

scott hillery
Having read the some of the previous comments, I felt I must just say that my children (aged 5 and 9) loved the show as did myself and my wife. Talented actors and musicians, humour and drama - what more do you want? Well done the Castle - more for next year please.

Jade Neville
Why should the castle stick to the same boundaries that it has set for the past christmas'? The art of drama is all about variety and not sticking to something predictable! I watched this performance and i believe it is one of the Castle's best yet! Understandibly some areas of the show may not suit a young child's humour, however the quality of the set, costumes, music and effort from the cast was out of this world and enough for any person of any age to appreciate. Congratulations Castle!!

Ian Wilson
I must say that I have to agree with Jennie and I too heard many people complaining about the show, too right though as it did not do what it said on the tin. I fear that they will have to do a lot pull pack familes next year.However, jennie, i cannot agree with your Martin Guerre post. A superb, moving, daring and musical outstanding has no similarities that I could see and i say Martin Guerre three times....this I could only take once.My daughter too loved the flashy things and watched them more that the show.Ian Wilson.

jennie goodwin
An extremely professional production on par with Martin Guerre(west end) However extremely inappropriate for families with young children such as myself.It was interesting that staff at the castle singled myself and my 3 year old daughter out and warned me it was disappointing!! No scene changes No costume changes No wow factor. Do not get me wrong I appreciated the staging and singing and the musicality but I'm afraid it was not marketed at the correct audience i.e a family christmas production. It is a shame I was not warned about its unsuitability for younger children. My daughter's favourite part was the tiara and flashing wand I purchased on sale there. A pity a dark production with a complex storyline clearly artistic and not suited as family christmas entertainment. I find it quite incredible to read such postive reviews from parents of small children considring the numbers of complaints I witnessed at the box office at the interval! Great production wrong market!

deb todd
very dissapointed, the castle gaveno indication that was not children orientated, my six year old was very upset and get asking where belle was. back to the derngate next year

Samantha Lock
We booked our three year old and four year old into the show and we were told at the time of booking that is was for 4 plus and more suited to those 5 or 6 plus. We went anyway and we had a great time... we will be back

John Lyons
ITS NOT BEHIND YOU BECAUSE ITS NOT A PANTO - ITS A CHIRSTMAS SHOW AND IT IS TERRIFIC. SAY NO TO PANTOS AND YES TO THIS - THE ACTORS SHOULD COME BACK AGAIN SUPER SUPER...

Penelope Wilton Phd
I just wanted to say that my three children aged 4,5 and 6 and I have been to see this show twice and plan to go on Boxing day again as we loved it so much. The children had no problem understanding it and we thought it was fantastic - so much better than last year's offering the Princess and the Pea. I heard really positive comments when we left the auditorium but we also heard some dissenters - who were dissappointed because it was not the Panto they expected. Forgive me for being totally ignorrant but the show is not publicised as a Panto - it is a christmas show and they are totally different - the interaction is generally in the music and song and jokes - Christmas Shows are more geared for family audiences and it is great for me to be entertained as well as my children rather than listening to "Its behind you" hundreds of times and awful made up lyrics to the latest toe-cringingly bad pop anthem that year - much better to hear original script, music and score which we had this year. No wonder we are miles behind the rest of Europe producing theatre if all we demand is Panto - it is one of the world's worst forms of cheap chavy theatre and we are the only place in the world that continues its existence - other nations of the world are completely oblivious to it and think we are nuts for doing it. In fact what I thought was inspired was that Beauty and the Beast is more like the traditional Italian Pantomime and VIctorian staging of that time - so in essence it is far more like Pantomime than the Panto of today - what seems to be the problem is that the show was being criticised for being a good piece of theatre full of intergrity rather than being appluaded for selling out with awful pop tunes, silly participation not connected to the story and the latest D-List celeb trying to cash in on their last ditch attemopt at fame. I was so shocked at what I heard from the mouth of some other mothers that I spoke to the Manager at the Castle who told me that in their 12 year history they have never once staged a Panto and they have always staged Christmas Shows in the venue. I believe this year people are shocked as there is a great difference between last year and this one but no-one stopped in that foyer to say how brilliant it was - how like a west end show it was - how great the actors were - how fab and infectious the songs are - how fantastic it is that good quality theatre has at last hit Wellingborough. We should be so proud that we have a resource in our local community producing excellent theatre rather than moaning about the temperature in the theatre, the poor front of house facilities and the age range on the show. Get behind your local theatre is what I say - The Castle is fantastic. I have been to many a show in the last number of years there and I have always had a brilliant time. I think what the Castle are doing is fantastic and obviously this year there is a change to the work it does at Chritsmas - and thank goodness for that - not only an improvement but a wake up call to all those silly parents that think Panto is a good thing for children. Wake up Wellingborough change is coming and its looking good from where I am standing...

Mr Oswald (Wellingborough)
Very dissapointed. Have been a supporter of the Castle for many years and have taken the grandchidren to see the Christmas productions for the past few. Usually excellent. This was boring for the children and at times us. We (grandparents) did enjoy it mostly, but our children were so lost and uninterested. Was really dissapointed and felt sorry for the young people that had to sit on the side of the stage for the whole show. This was not a young person orientated production and not really the tale of Beauty and the beast. We shall be going back to The Royal next year.

Alison Jones
What can I say! We first visited the castle last year to see the princess and the pea. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to take along the children again to this years production. Unfortunately we were disappointed. There was no indication to us when we booked the tickets that possibly it would not be suitable for young children. Certainly we were not alone as quite a few other parents left with young children in the interval. As adults we appreciated the singing and acting but for children, this was not a christmas panto!

Mrs J Johnson
WOW !!!!!! IT'S LIKE A MINY WEST END SHOW IN NORTHAMPTONSHIRE !!!!! LOVED ALL THE ACTORS IN THE SHOW. I WILL RETURN FOR NEXT YEARS SHOW AT THE CASTLE!!!!!!

Mrs S Etheridge
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant. What a clever concept and brilliant staging - beautiful costumes, lots of colour and lots of fun for the family. Please do it again next year!!!

Sam Marr
We bought a party of 15 children this year and I have never seen them so attentive - it was really really good. So nice to see high quality stuff on the Castle stage

Jane Mumford
This was like a West End Show that appeared at the Castle at it was such a surprise - it was fantastic . My four year old Seth loved it and went away humming all of the tunes. I even made him a shadow puppet later that day as there were some in the show. It was very inventive and excellent that the Castle has improved its output. More please next year ...

Joan Furnish
I am not sure I agree with the above comment. I have been coming to The Castle for a number of years and had grown a bit tired of all the poor costumes and sets. I went to see Beauty and the Beast expecting much the same (the kids enjoy it - so it makes a fun day out for them) but I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was superb, the songs and music were fantastic. I was really really impressed and would encourage whoever to keep this high standard going. The one critisism was that I wanted the Beast to have some fluffy ears or something like that rather than a hood but apart from that the kids and I loved it - a great family treat. I agree with Martin Borely it is good to see The Castle give the Royal a run for their money - well done to all concenred. See you next year!!

Peter J Walton
Artistically of a very high standard and a most interesting production by a group of talented individuals.However, you must note your audience. This is not for the children that it is aimed at. A lot of the jokes are aimed too high and its not really the story or B&B. My children were most disapointed. You have chosen the wrong title by far and thats not fair.The Standard at the Castle is good and the christmas shows are enjoyable when aimed at the whole family. Please dont loose what you so magically have done in the past. It;s not a pantomime and its not quite a play, it's in nomansland this year. Also the music, though some pleasing moments, is rather odd, uninteresting and the styles are not supported by the scenes. But I see from the programme thats its a new person this year, one from the Chicago musical, that would explain the odd and outof place overture.Well done from my eyes, but casting the net further...have you made the right decision?