A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
The Academy of Expressive Arts in Aberdeen “does what it says on the tin”, providing local people a chance to learn about and participate in theatre productions. Their version of Beauty and the Beast is currently running at Aberdeen Arts Centre and is certainly worth a watch.
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They have an 11 piece orchestra playing throughout, in fact 12 if you include the conductor who also plays a flute on occasion. The cast ranges in age and experience, but once you let go of any age expectations this does not cause a problem. The actor playing Beauty’s father is obviously quite a bit younger than she is but they are both fabulous in their roles, of the quirky outsiders of the village who don’t quite fit in.
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Mairi Cunningham is incredibly well cast in the role of beautiful Belle, both matching my visual expectations of the character and having an amazing voice and good stage presence.
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As is necessary with this “tale as old as time” it is a very large cast. They all put their heart and souls into performing, obviously knowing exactly what is expected of them at any given moment and working together very well on stage. There are a couple of slip-ups but they just carry on smiling and the show goes on. This is one of the joys of live theatre, that each performance will be unique depending on what happens on the night. The Academy has obviously taught them well, that it is best to just keep going.
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The set was very cleverly done. The Beast’s castle had the necessary staircase and a gorgeous stained glass window of a rose, I was taken right back to Disney World, when we had dinner with the Beast. I did wonder how they would do the library, and it was very cunningly done to be the largest library Belle had ever seen. Different backdrops were used to change the scenery with just a simple pull of a curtain, so you always knew where the characters were. Obviously Beauty and the Beast is a well known story that most of us have certain expectations of. Be Our Guest was also as marvellous and magical as you would hope, with lots of different plates, cutlery, the singing tea pot and Lumiere leading them all as expected. Christopher Tawse really suited this role, doing a great job although I expect he’s going to have sore arms from holding the candles up for so long!
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It was great to see so many people supporting this local production and filling the Aberdeen Arts Centre, especially with their current financial challenges. The upcoming programme is well worth exploring, as they really do have something for everyone, at more affordable prices which is not be overlooked when considering a really good night out. Also good to see that the Academy of Expressive Arts will be back soon with a performance of my other favourite The Little Mermaid, and tickets are available now.
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Further information: https://academyofexpressivearts.com/ and https://www.aberdeenartscentre.com/save-aberdeen-arts-centre
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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