Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Stephen Collins, Edward Day, Simone Lewis, Rose-Marie Christian.
Within us all there is the propensity to harbour both good and evil, to be kind-hearted and to allow the nature of maliciousness to shine through; there is though a realm of mischievousness which can enter both states of mind, not born out of a dark soul, but in the way that you are treated by others, one can only take so much abuse from someone before they start to kick back, when people are excluded and talked about spitefully behind their back, they become harsh, callous perhaps, they become unkind.
The very nature of the tale of Beauty and the Beast is one that normally extenuates how love can change a person, how they be taken from a place of the bleak and unforgiving, to a point where the heart and soul are, if not at least fixed, then reconciled with the people they once knew, made to feel whole and welcome in the community once more.
The uniqueness of Liverpool’s Unity Theatre show has always been its greatest strength, it has always been at the forefront of weaving a story that is unexpectedly rich and diverse, one that is fashioned with genuine poise at its heart; and in this year’s showing of Beauty and the Beast by Kevin Dyer and directed by Nina Hajiyianni is just how beauty can be seen to go beyond the obvious, how a moment of kindness is reflected back and in a room full of children, of how nurture and nature go hand in hand and can be seen as something positive, something good.
Inclusivity is not a word to be taken lightly, not to bandied about as if just placing a tick on a score sheet, in the hands of those who genuinely and sincerely see the larger picture in a world of progressive snap shots, to be complete is to accept all, from the beast to the absolute beauty in all. In this the four members of the Unity Theatre performance team portrayed all with gifted timing and broad appeal. In the hands of Edward Day the Beast was re-energised from one of ogre devilment to one of almost childhood reminisce, of finding someone who would see beyond the temper and play with you regardless, who would seek you out to help you, not taunt you.
In timeless Unity Theatre tradition, this year’s Christmas show is outstanding, brimming with joy, a treat for all. Beauty and the beautiful!
Ian D. Hall