A festive treat for all the family awaits at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, where ‘Beauty and the Beast' plays until the New Year. The panto spectacular is the icing on the cake of a great season of theatrical entertainment at the venue. ‘Beauty and the Beast' truly pulls out all the stops to take us into 2026 in style.
One hook is undoubtedly the presence of the legendary Su Pollard in the stellar line-up. A star of classic sitcoms including ‘Hi-de-Hi', ‘You Rang M'Lord?' and ‘Oh, Doctor Beeching!', Pollard is a national treasure, a loveable eccentric and undoubtedly one of the greatest panto performers of her generation. She does not disappoint, and proves a good foil for Samantha Womack (‘Game On', ‘EastEnders') who impresses as the evil Enchantress (“boo, hiss!”). There is emerging talent too in the form of young ventriloquist Jamie Leahey and musical theatre star Sheri Lineham as the princess in waiting.
When the Enchantress (Womack) puts a spell on Prince Sebastian (Alfie French), she turns the handsome young man into a beast. He is cursed to remain in that state until every rose petal falls, or he learns true love. Ashamed of his condition, he becomes reclusive and mistreats his employees at the castle, including Mrs Potty (Su Pollard). Then one day, Belle (Sheri Lineham) visits, and Prince Sebastian falls in love. Only Flash Harry (Tom Mussell) is also in love with Belle, and he's determined to slay the beast and marry her!
Writer Alan McHugh provides a cracking script that conveys the essential points of the fairytale but adds enough space for vignettes for each member of the cast to have moments to shine. Our only reservation was that Ben Stock was so funny as Dame Betty Bouffant that we wished he'd had his own adventure. But coming in at just under two hours' running time including interval, ‘Beauty and the Beast' is a jam-packed show with an unrelenting high pace. Every member of the cast is exceptional in their part, so there will always be characters you wished you'd spent more time with. But as Su Pollard told the audience at the curtain call,”We'd love to do it all again but we're off for a pie and a pint.” Well-earned, and you can't argue with that!
The production standards are high across the board. The show is a stunning feast for the eyes and ears. Everything from the sets, painted backdrops and elaborate costumes sparkle. With inventive lighting, the aesthetics create a magical fairytale landscape for young audiences to become spellbound by the events on stage. Jamie Leahey as Silly Billy is brilliant at keeping youngsters engaged and their energy levels high, earning a great reception every time he comes on.
‘Beauty and the Beast' follows the traditional panto recipe of telling a classic tale and adding pop songs (plenty of Billie Eilish, I'm reliably informed, and all played live) comedy sketches and jokes, a good number of which are toilet humour (which land best with the kids) and double entendres (ones for the adults). It's the extraneous characters who provide the backbone of the show. This universally brilliant cast is fully in the panto spirit. The actors' energy and commitment ensures a strong response from the audience. Pretty much every joke lands. There were plenty of times we were chortling in our seats.
In a show of many highlights, a few are worth pointing out. The rapport between Su Pollard and Ben Stock is a constant joy. We could have enjoyed their banter forever. Samantha Womack gives a gutsy version of ‘You Know My Name' from the James Bond film ‘Casino Royale', which mixes glamour with razzmatazz. There's a tongue-twister scene: Tom Mussell was a revelation, Samantha Womack momentarily lost it and Su Pollard had us in stitches… Then there's Jamie Leahey's Toulouse-Lautrec impersonation when Silly Billy is magically shrunk.
There were a few bits of timing that were slightly off on the night, and songs reprisals that didn't add much. But so long as the pace is high, the energy is good and laughs are delivered at a rate of knots, panto is very forgiving. In many ways, the madness and rough-around-the-edges campery is all part of the charm. That's why ‘Beauty and the Beast' comes heartily recommended. It has a talented cast who pull together to deliver a superb night's entertainment. Family members of every age will enjoy this one.
Cast: Su Pollard, Samantha Womack, Jamie Leahey, Ben Stock, Sheri Lineham, Tom Mussell, Alfie French Writer: Alan McHugh Director: Paul Robinson Running time: 115 mins Theatre: The Churchill Theatre, Bromley Performance dates: 10th December 2025 – 4th January 2026 Book ‘Beauty and the Beast'
