First look: Beauty & The Beast at The Dukes Theatre

Here’s a first look at Beauty & The Beast currently running at The Dukes Theatre.

The Lanchester venue is staging its version of the classic fairytale in-the-round this Christmas from 3 to 31 December 2021.

Those on the cast are Andrea Crewe as Mum, Lisa Howard as Gardener, Ida Regan as Bella, Tarek Slater as Beast and Declan Wilson as Lionel.

Lisa Howard (Gardener), Credit_ Robin Zahler
Lisa Howard (Gardener), Credit: Robin Zahler
Lisa Howard (Gardener) Credit_ Robin Zahler
Lisa Howard (Gardener) Credit: Robin Zahler
Ida Regan (Bella), Tarek Slater (Beast), Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Ida Regan (Bella), Tarek Slater (Beast), Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Ida Regan (Bella), Credit: Robin Zahler
Ida Regan (Bella), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler

The show welcomes back the creative team of Daniel Bye (writer & co-director) and Sarah Punshon (co-director), who previously collaborated on The Dukes’ highly acclaimed productions of Cinderella: A Fairytale and Sleeping Beauty.

The production will also see the return of Katie Scott (designer), Ziad Jabero (composer) and Zak Phillips-Yates (choreographer) with the creative team also including Brent Lees (lighting design), Kate Harvey (sound design), Louise Manifold (stage manager), Amy Chandler (production manager), Emily Bull (deputy stage manager), Georgia Leech (assistant stage manager), Ann Preston and Katie Duxbury (wardrobe supervision).

This brand-new production will provide a thoroughly festive adventure for all audiences; promising to be filled with magic, dancing and songs that everyone will love to sing along to.

Bella and her mother live alone in the countryside, scrimping and saving to make ends meet. But, not far from their farm, in the forest, there is a terrible secret waiting to be uncovered that has made the land barren.

Kidnapped by the fearsome Beast, Bella discovers that he might not be the mean-spirited creature that she has been told about – and that the curse he is under can be broken.

Tickets are available online now from dukeslancaster.org.

Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler
Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Andrea Crewe (Mum), Credit: Robin Zahler
Tarek Slater (Beast), Credit: Robin Zahler
Tarek Slater (Beast), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler
Declan Wilson (Lionel), Credit: Robin Zahler
About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.