New company 3 Actors have come up with a dark, gothic and beautiful re-imagining of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
A merchant lives with his three daughters. Two are cruel and ugly, while the youngest, Beauty, is beautiful inside and out. After attempting to take a white rose from the Beast’s castle for Beauty, the merchant is threatened with death unless Beauty is sent to the Beast. Sacrificing her freedom for her father, Beauty moves into the Beast’s castle and, over time, falls for the Beast.
However, despite what Disney would have you believe, there are no singing teapots or candles in this show. First published by Madame De Villeneuve in the 1740s, this adaptation uses the story’s French origins to influence their own production. Haunting baroque music accompanies the performance, while the set and costumes by Elin Söderlund are simple, yet striking and work surprisingly well with the kitschy surrounds of The Butterfly Club’s downstairs theatre.
All three women take turns to play the various characters, including Beauty, the Beast, the father and the sisters, and, using the teachings of Butoh, Le Coq and Meyerhold, turn this classic fairy tale into an engaging and enchanting piece of physical theatre which will appeal to all ages.
BY MYF CLARK
