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We’re on! In fact we have been for a week and now we have a few days off before the second half of the run. Tom took the photo below at the final dress and it says it all really. Great photo Tom! I’ve posted it big because it needs to be.

So, the last post was on Feb 2nd and we opened on Feb 14th. That’s 12 days of non-stop set painting, costume making, rehearsing, music, sound, lights – sleeping bag at the theatre time. Small amount of time to earn some money to fund my theatre habit. Tiny amounts of free time to flop on a sofa. But now we’re running and it’s great to be there!

Sissy and Phoebe explain to Beauty exactly why she should stay at home and not return to the Beast

So … what are people saying? Well, so far we’ve had great audiences and they all seem to love the story and the way we tell it. It isn’t a panto and is doesn’t contain vast amounts of slapstick comedy (actually, it doesn’t contain any), but is has humour, romance and bucketfuls of magic. Children are loving it. They love the story. You won’t see the Beast slip up on a banana skin and Beauty doesn’t sing the latest sugar-coated pop song. Does that matter? I don’t think so. In fact I’ve only mentioned it because a few people thought that it might matter before the show started. I hope word spreads and our second week audiences are as big as our first! This is our chance at the theatre to put something big and magical on and we would really love to share it with as many Bromyard folk as we can!

And, of course, Beauty & the Beast (Prince) live happily ever after ….

The other burning question … is it scary. No. Small thumb-sucking children have been sitting in the front row for every show enthralled. One small child got very concerned when Beauty goes back to find the Beast dying and couldn’t see him. He was heard to say .. “no… not that way, he’s over there” (probably pointing as well). It was almost a ‘he’s behind you’ moment, but delivered with real concern. That’s what I call getting wrapped up in the story! Lovely. Actually, the people who are scared the most are the actors (but that’s just the nature of the acting beast …) Although I have to admit I’ve had a few scary moments when my fingers have rather inconsiderately disengaged from their immediate task in hand (sorry) and have travelled to faraway places and pressed things they shouldn’t (I’m talking about playing the accordion here – just in case you got lost). I try to play very quietly at those moments!

This is the last blog. If you’ve been following it, or just reading this one, thanks for the support. We’ve had a great ride and I hope you’ll come and share the experience. Do stick around afterwards and say hello – it takes a while to get out of costume and make-up but after all ths time and work we really do appreciate feedback and fizz (ok, I appreciate fizz – but I’m not alone ..) After one show the ‘Beast’ had a fan club of small girls waiting in the foyer … now that’s success!

Read more of this blog and see the pictures @ conquest-theatre.co.uk/blog

Beauty and the Beast

Adapted from the original tale by Barbara Hockley

Performances at the Conquest Theatre, Bromyard

February 2013

Thursday 14th (7.30pm), Friday 15th (7.30pm), Saturday 16th (2.30pm), Sunday 17th (2.30pm),

Thursday 21st (7.30pm), Friday 22nd (7.30pm) & Saturday 23rd (2.30pm and 7.30pm)