I confess to wondering that with the Dundee Rep ‘A’ Team busy wowing audiences across Scotland with their award-winning show Sunshine on Leith, that the ‘B’ Team left at home might be struggling in terms of resources to get on a substantial Christmas show back at the Rep.
I need not have worried: Beauty and the Beast at Dundee Rep is probably one of the best pieces of seasonal theatre I have seen for a while, and thoroughly deserves the full houses and five star reviews it has been getting. Just nine actors tell the story, and with a minimalist and very effective set, they sing, dance and use an endless array of props to tell the story. And the story is so clearly told – we were immediately in France (the cast arrived onstage singing a French song), and introduced to the Merchant’s lively family. But when within minutes of the start we went from the hugely amusing light-harted squabbling among the siblings to the death of their mother, handled brilliantly and sensitively with black parisian umbrellas, this was clearly going to a very special night of darkness and light, adventure and sheer magic.
This was director Jemima Levick’s first piece for the Rep. In many Christmas shows, baddies are often very shouty and come with an array of big sound effects. But Levick’s answer to this was to adopt a ‘less is more’ approach, which allowed the story to emerge with crystal clarity: the impossibility of the Merchant’s choice between sacrificing himself or letting his daughter return to Beast’s palace; the challenge Beauty makes to the Beast after he has rescued her from a wolf attack, and the chilling confrontation between the Beast and his minder, the Witch. It was a nice touch to pass the actual story book through scenes.
Karen Maciver’s score – performed live with cellist Seylan Baxter – gave this show an even greater depth, aided by some stunning lighting from Chris Davey. Alex Lowde’s designs were minimal and imaginative – floating vertical coloured neon tubes for the palace, a whole hall of mirrors, and weather from rain and mud to wind and snow. And a caravan.
It was just a wonderful evening, and harked back perhaps to the iconic Communicado’s Tall Tales. This was one of those shows to grab and hold the attention of people new to live performance – what a five star way to start a theatregoing habit of a lifetime.
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