Frolicking Family Fun - Oh Yes It Is !!

Review by Dave Wilson

16th Avenue Theatre’s season-opening night, bursts into life with a charming, cheeky, and delightfully high-energy staging of Beauty and the Beast – The Pantomime. This production leans joyfully into all the traditions audiences love—boos, hisses, belly laughs, singalongs,
and just the right amount of chaos—while offering a warm-hearted story about kindness, courage, and the magic of seeing beyond first impressions.

Prolific panto writer Ben Crocker has delivered another terrific script, giving the players the perfect platform to launch chaotically into a hilarious, yet poignant take on the classic story. 

The tale centres on Rose (Krystal Dance), a kind-hearted village girl whose quiet life is upended when her well-meaning but hapless Ma wanders into an enchanted castle hidden deep in the forest.

In a courageous act of love, Rose offers herself in Ma’s place, only to discover the castle is ruled by a brooding Beast (Oscar Hellyer) burdened by a mysterious curse.

With the help of a wonderfully eccentric ensemble—including Ma (Jason Chamberlain) as the flamboyant Dame, the ever-mischievous Felix (Georgie Magpie), a gaggle of enchanted household objects, and a villainess in the form of the deliciously wicked Countess Malabelle (Sarah Bate) - Rose gradually learns that true beauty lives beneath the surface, while the Beast must confront his own fears if the spell is to be broken.

As the year draws to a close, and many of us are wallowing in the [sighs] ‘a bit over it’ mindset, this pantomime promises a spirit-lifting evening of laughter, audience participation, and wholehearted family fun. It delivers that promise in spades.

The cast of 23 fill the intimate 16th Avenue stage, providing a couple of hours’ respite from the outside world, that saw the very appreciative opening night full-house audience leave the theatre uplifted and well-entertained.

Many of the cast are newcomers, treading the 16th Avenue boards for the first time, and it is wonderful seeing fresh faces relish, and grow from, the experience of live performance; but it is a couple of more seasoned thespians that stand out as the true show-stealers.

Sarah Bate, no stranger to Tauranga audiences, seems to be calling on an inner persona from the moment of her first smoke-filled entrance, right through to her final moments on stage, as the delusionally desperate and wicked panto witch, Countess Malabelle. Innate ability for a clever ad-lib, and her comic timing are delivered with aplomb, creating a genuine love-hate relationship with the audience. Boooooo!

Highlight of the night is Jason Chamberlain as the traditional panto dame – Ma. It is a challenge to excel in this pivotal pantomime role without just becoming a man in drag, and Chamberlain nailed it! His comedic flair, energy, and confident performance delivered a Ma
that the audience loved, and he should be very proud of. Oh, yes, he should!

The setting was well-delivered with clever scene transitions, and the wardrobe team led by Kay Burnie must have put some serious hours into the sheer number of colourful garments. A standout favourite for me is the bright orange lamp, worn by Kahn Crow in a hilariously ‘lampy’ performance.

When saying this is a family show, that notion runs even deeper in this production. Beauty and the Beast is blessed by having three generations of the passionately theatrical Weatherley family at the foundation of the company. Directed by the experienced Laura
Weatherley with husband Brendon her assistant, not-so-young family members Rob and Delwyn in the production team, and the younger Weatherleys Xav as the stage manager and Amber in the ensemble, family essence is at the centre of this heart-warming show.

Running until 6 December, if you’re looking for a family outing to lift the spirits leading into Christmas, Beauty and the Best – The Pantomime is a worthy treat. Oh, yes, it is!