Beauty and the Beast

Having seen the magical stage show at the London Palladium, I was thrilled to discover that we would be doing Beauty and The Beast for our Lent Term musical, and excited about seeing the magic come to life on the 400 Hall stage.

I was not alone in this: it was so great to see the number of people across all age groups auditioning in early November. Rehearsals began with Mr CooperRichards and Mrs Whitfield in the following weeks, filling the stage with laughter and energy. During rehearsal times we looked at the characters’ motivation, as well as practical aspects such as how the scenes would be blocked. One of the most rewarding aspects of being involved in a production is being able to share a passion with other people around you. Walking into a room full of people you don't know can be intimidating and feel like a leap into the unknown, but when you work closely with them as in a production like this, eventually you begin to form amazing relationships.

A week before performing this spectacular show, the set and costumes arrived. These had been hired on and made everyone in the cast feel very professional. But set familiarization meant that we had to make some changes in blocking with just a week to go, resulting in there being more rehearsals to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible.

The dozen students in the band, with Mr Fairbrother as conductor, had to learn difficult new repertoire in just under seven weeks, but their contribution was crucially important. Alongside the acting rehearsals, there was also lots of hard work taking place to get all the songs together. During the final two weeks, the band moved all their equipment into the Studio Theatre, where Act One and Act Two were run with music. When it finally came together, we felt a huge sense of achievement – it really was exciting.

Musical theatre is also very demanding technically and our tech team and backstage crew made a massive contribution to the success of the show. The technicians were fully immersed in creating the lighting and sound effects during the last week: programming the lights and finding the right sounds to use throughout the show, as well as dealing with the mikes, sound levels and balance. It was exciting to see the curtain rise on Sunday night as the actors stepped on the stage for the first dress rehearsal, and everything really started to come together.

The experience of being part of this performance was incredible. The benefits of performing include developing self-confidence, improving memory skills, and solving problems when unexpected circumstances arise. But above all it gave the cast and crew a deeper insight into how simply much fun performing can be.

Performing does come with worries and concerns, especially pre-show nerves. However, the music blasting through speakers in the dressing rooms never failed to relax us. After completing four shows, it is safe to say that everyone felt so proud, despite a few technical difficulties. One of the most amazing feelings coming out of live performance is the reaction in the auditorium. Beauty and the Beast was a three-night sell-out and we got a wonderful response from the audience.

A show like this could never happen without the dedication and support from Mr Cooper-Richards and Mrs Whitfield: thank-you et merci!

When I booked my ticket for ‘Beauty and the Beast’, I had high hopes. It still remains one of my favourite Disney stories: reading it as a little girl and then watching the story coming to life on screen, I adored the idea of dancing cutlery and singing candlesticks. So I immediately knew that this was an excellent choice for this Lent Term’s production, which was performed for three nights, including a matinée for Repton Prep, and to packed houses.

The performance village and the Beast’s chateau to life with stunning lighting and fabulous set design. The brilliant costumes truly did full justice to the story and helped to bring the animation to life, from Belle’s vivid yellow dress to the masks of the wolves. Everything, right down to the cobblestones painted on the stage floor, was done with meticulous care – and all somehow controlled by Mr Cooper-Richard and Mrs Whitfield. via monitors and speakers. This was a huge challenge, both musically and practically, but, expertly led by Mr Fairbrother, their hard work really paid off.

We were all truly immersed in the performance and I actually found it even more rewarding than watching the film. That is truly the extraordinary power of live theatre, which enables you to lose yourself in the story unfolding right in front of you.

Musical Theatre Like This Requires Incredible Commitment And Discipline From Everyone

I saw on the Saturday night entirely met my high expectations. From the iconic and uplifting ‘Be Our Guest’ to the sombre ‘If I Can’t Love Her’, the dynamic and contrasting performances – acting, singing and dancing - were testament to the incredible talent and hard work of the entire company, who executed their roles with such mature delivery. This skill was seen from both regulars of the Repton stage – with Peter Whittingham showing off his incredibly mature and controlled singing voice as the Beast – and fresh faces – as Jenna Langley performed brilliantly and fearlessly as Belle. Around these principals, there was an incredibly strong company: Madam de la Grande Bouche (Phoebe L), Mrs Potts (Becki D) , a very chirpy Chip (Bebe S) and Cogsworth (Henry W) bringing through all the humanity and characterisation in their roles as items of furniture and tableware; Carwyn O’s Gaston flexing his muscles with irresistible egotism, accompanied by his adoring and swooning chorus of admirers; Cameron B extracting every inch of humour from sidekick Lefou; and Lottie W as Lumiére lighting up the 400 Hall stage with a brilliant performance and a superbly sustained French accent that was simply magnifique. And the French village was superbly brought to life by the whole ensemble, strongly led by Charlie C-S as Maurice.

Even to someone like me who regularly sees the bustling nature of the Drama department, the technical demands of putting on such a sophisticated production were quite a shock. A committed team backstage – often the unsung heroes of the show – helped to bring the two worlds of the rural

Added to the intense level of work required onstage and backstage was the challenge of a very demanding musical score. The BATB bandmembers spent long days in the Music School with some very difficult music to master and rehearsals right up till the very first night of the performance. And there was the added problem that the musicians could not be in the auditorium with the performers and audience, having to operate instead from the Studio Theatre

Musical theatre like this requires incredible commitment and discipline from everyone and the whole company of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ – cast, crew, band and directors – should be congratulated on a wonderful evening’s entertainment. I absolutely adored it and really felt like I was four years old again watching the movie from my seat.

Téa U (11M)