The Octagon Theatre, Reading

Brief Synopsis

Swapping the stage musical version of Beauty and the Beast for the pantomime version at The Hexagon Theatre Reading in 2012, Vicki added the Silver Enchantress to her festive repertoire of productions.

Remaining true to the Disney storyline, audiences also reaped the benefit of additional traditional pantomime elements with the introduction of a Dame to the cast and the familiar slapstick scenes. With plenty of fun and surprises, dazzling costumes and the latest in current pop songs, this was a truly magical family panto.

Character Analysis

Silver Enchantress

Enchanting in every sense it was the task of the Enchantress to steer the audience through the plot, which she did with gentle grace and sparkle in addition to casting a magical aura on all she surveyed. 

Director

Steve Boden

Cast include

CBBC star Justin Fletcher aka Mr. Tumble teamed up for the third successive year with Jolyon Dixon as Dame Dorothy Do-It to produce some hilarious set pieces and copious amounts of messy gunge during the ‘cleaning up’ scene in order to satisfy Dame Dorothy’s obsession with cleaning while Nigel Nevinson provided a delightfully dithery adaptation of Beauty’s father. Martin Parsons excelled as the hilarious Pimple making him the perfect foil for Ian Knauer’s  outrageously arrogant Eugene, Dan Westwood as the Prince and Emma Hously as Beauty made a fairytale couple while David J Higgins struck terror over the townsfolk and audience alike with his piercing, glowing red eyes.