Beauty And the Beast - a Magical School Holiday Treat

Beauty And the Beast - a Magical School Holiday Treat

This school holiday, The Court Theatre presents a classic fairytale... with some unexpected twists. Featuring performers from The Court’s summer musical Grease, Beauty and the Beast is full of magic, mystery, adventure and fun.

Preserving the integrity and core themes of this much-loved fairytale, playwright Gregory Cooper still brings a sense of freshness and imagination to the script. In a past interview with The Lumière Reader, Gregory offered some advice for those wishing to produce children’s theatre; “Don’t patronize the children. They are incredibly perceptive and savvy and can smell condescension a mile away. Just tell a good story with characters they will care about. Fart and snot gags are always useful as well.”

In her journey to see beyond the Beast’s appearance and discover his true heart, our heroine Beauty is faced with a magic mirror, a big scary storm, a collection of silly sisters and a Marmite-loving Sea Captain.

“It’s silliness with a purpose” says Director, Melanie Camp, who directed the sell-out season of The Gingerbread Man during the 2012 school holidays. “The great thing about children’s theatre is that we can challenge children to think about the consequences of their choices, learn between right and wrong, and even help them face their fears – all of this in a vibrant, interactive and fabulously silly theatrical experience.”

Beauty and the Beast will feature new music by Luke Di Somma and will also incorporate the use of stage revolves and special lighting effects that are sure to enchant children and adults alike.

Beauty and the Beast runs from 24 April to 4 May. Performances are 11am and 1pm daily on weekdays and 11am only on Saturdays. All tickets are $9. For more information, please visit www.courttheatre.org.nz or call 03 963 0870.

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