We proudly invite you to Be Our Guest….
The red carpet was rolled out in Manchester this week, when Disney and the Palace proudly invites us to ‘Be Our Guest’. That’s right, it was the press night performance of the enchanted Beauty and the Beast the musical. I brought my sister with me as my guest, she is such a Disney fan and couldn’t wait to see this.
From arriving at the theatre, the evening was magical from start to finish. From red carpet and roses on arrival to the most magical and sensational show I think I’ve ever seen!
Everyone knows the much loved story of Beauty and the Beast! Belle, stuck in a provincial town, goes in search of her missing father. They both stumble across an enchanted castle and a beast! Will Belle be a prisoner forever? Will time run out and the rose wilt? The magical occupants of the castle know that their time is almost up!
Well what can I say about this musical except it was an absolute masterpiece! I am a fan of musical theatre, I love it! But this was something else. The classic tale was brought to life with modern lighting and state-of-the art technology that just gave a wow factor throughout! Using the latest theatrical innovations we were transformed into a world of magic right in front of our eyes! On several occasions, I turned to my sister in the seat next to me and said wow or how the hell did they do that!?!
I loved everything about it. The set was absolutely phenomenal! It was big and bright, there was so much detail in ever aspect of the design. It was extremely clever too. Lighting and video effects transformed the audience into the woods and it was spectacular.
My favourite parts of the show and musical numbers had to be ‘Gaston’ in the Tavern and everyone’s favourite ‘Be Our Guest’. These two numbers in particular were like a show in themselves! The energy of the cast was phenomenal and I won’t be forgetting these numbers anytime soon. Certainly a musical highlight. So much was going on, every inch of the stage was busting with dance and magic!
Courtney Stapleton and Shaq Taylor gave perfect performances as Beauty and the Beast! The iconic moment when Belle comes down the stairs in the gorgeous gold dress was a very special moment indeed. When the beast magical turns back into a Prince was almost a moment to remember also.
Special mentions must go to Lumiere played by Gavin Lee. He literally brighten up the stage with his presence, absolutely fabulous performance! Also Gaston played by the extremely muscular Tom Senior. I loved him as Gaston, he was superb! So funny, just owned the stage! Little Rojae Simpson who played Chip left the audience mesmerised and confused by the theatrical trickery- outstanding! 2013’s X Factor winner Sam Bailey was fabulous as Mrs Potts and I loved Samatha Bingley as Madame– she was brilliant.
This show is a sensation and is in Manchester until Saturday 4th June 2022. It truly is a must-see! For more information and tickets, see here.
Out and about mummy 