Hereford Amateur Pantomime Society (HAPS) delighted younger audiences with their latest production of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at The Courtyard, Hereford.

The performance ran from February 15th to Sunday, February 18th and tickets were in aid of Phoenix Bereavement Support Services.

In this unconventional telling of the classic story, the brave Beauty, who would rather be known for her real name Rose, was a “woman on a mission”; spending her life at the Beast’s castle in order to save her ‘Ma’.

Beauty, played by Hannah Pyne, belied her years with her acting and great singing - and looked perfect for the part too.

The costumes in particular, deserve mention, as the whole cast (of over 30) were always dressed fantastically. In particular, the castle characters - especially the carpet! The talking clock was also excellent, and had great energy and a clear voice onstage.

The set was also admirable and the changes were slick and professional.

A stand out was ‘Ma’, essentially the Dame character, played by Jon Stacey. Ma had a confident stage prescence and likeability, and always seemed to be on the verge of bursting into laughter - which was enjoyable for the audience.

Ma was joined by Beauty’s brother, Jacques, played by Arun Gammage, and friend Capucine, played by Lydia Denton, who were both very likeable. The feisty blacksmith Capucine, in particular, seemed very comfortable onstage and was easy to watch.

The gang was joined by their faithful dog, a french poodle called Felix, played by Hannah Denton, who was great at keeping her French accent, which sounded difficult to maintain!

The Prince and the Beast were played by two separate characters. The Prince, played by William Shaw, had a comedic charm to him, while the Beast, played by Phil Field, had a vocal depth and tone which perfectly befitted the Beast.

The Witch, Malabelle, played by Stephanie Austwick, stole the show, and was subject to lots of heckles and a rather noisy audience! The Witch’s rendition of “I Put A Spell On You,” because she can not have the Prince herself, was fantastically wicked.

The performance hosted a variety of well-known popular songs, opening the show with the infectious energy of ‘C’est la Vie’ by B*Witched.

A stand out was ‘Material Girl’ led by Ma, and the finale, ‘Marry You’ and ‘Good Time’, which had the audience copying their infectious dance moves. Credit must be given to choreographer Emily Twigg, who was given the challenge of teaching and spacing so many cast members.

Mention must also be given to the director, Nicola Twigg, the assistant director, Ed Owen, and the musical director, Ian Strangward.

A show to be proud of.