When Christmas comes around, it is often difficult to figure out things that you can do with the young ones in your life. You will no doubt take them to a grotto at some point to see Father Christmas, and you may well be able to keep them busy writing a list of the presents that they’d like, but more often than not, you want to do something that will last for a couple of hours and take any requirement for you to do anything off your plate. That is where pantomimes come in, often starting well before Christmas and going on until January, such as Beauty and The Beast in Guildford.
What the Story is All About
Although unlikely, it isn’t out of the realms of the possible that you won’t know what the story of Beauty and The Beast is all about. Perhaps the original Disney version passed you by, or you missed the Emma Watson-led live-action film that came out in the 2020s. Regardless, before you take any young ones that you’re in charge of along to the theatre or simply decide to attend yourself, you will no doubt be keen to know what it is that you’re getting yourself into. The story revolves around Belle, who loves reading books and boasts a big heart and bigger dreams.
Belle goes to the enchanted castle and meets The Beast, discovering a wealth of other characters along the way who have all been enchanted by an evil sorceress. There is an enchanted rose that is losing its petals, with the story needing to reach its conclusion before the final petal falls. As an audience, we want to know if Belle can see past the monstrous exterior of The Beast, or whether The Beast is able to discover the true meaning of love in order to break the curse that has been put on him by the evil sorceress, freeing himself from her spell.
What You Can Expect
Anyone who has ever attended a pantomime will have a vague idea of the sort of things that they are likely to experience at one. The shows are always jam-packed with brilliant songs, many of which you will recognise if you know the Disney version of the story, as well as show-stopping dance routines from a talented cast. There will be plenty of magic on offer, too, for those that want to believe it. You can expect plenty of bright and vibrant colours to be on display, as well as silly jokes that the kids will love and a few risqué ones aimed more directly at the adults in attendance.
Those behind the shows put on at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre know exactly how to mix together the traditional with the modern, so don’t be surprised if a few of the songs in the charts are thrown in with some more classic ones, as well as jokes that are relevant at the time. You can also expect to see all of the traditional things that you will have grown used to from pantomimes you’ve seen previously. The conventions of pantomime, including the lead male character being played by a female actress, a man in drag playing the dame, and plenty of audience participation. ‘He’s behind you!’ ‘Oh no, he isn’t.’
A Non-Christmassy Christmas Experience
One of the most fascinating things about pantomimes, with Beauty and The Beast in Guildford being no exception, is the fact that there is often no direct reference to Christmas within the storylines or the script. Previous productions put on by the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, for example, have included Robin Hood, Cinderella and Dick Whittington. None of those are themed around Christmas, but they will all feel like the most Christmassy thing that you can imagine on account of the fact that they help to get people into the right mood for the holidays.
When it comes to the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre production of Beauty and The Beast in 2025, it begins on the 29th of November. By that point, Christmas decorations will have been appearing in the shops for weeks, alongside Christmas songs playing on the radio, whether you like it or not. The pantomime also goes on until the fourth of January 2026, by which time many people will have taken down their decorations and ignored the fact that in countries like Spain Christmas won’t have even been celebrated in a big way by that point because of the 12 Days of Christmas.
Who the Pantomime Is For
You might well be wondering who the pantomime is for and whether or not it is aimed at the kinds of people that you will want to take along with you. It is not exactly outrageous to say that the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre production of Beauty and The Beast is very much a family affair, meaning that it is just as good for young people to watch as it is for older ones. In fact, this is the kind of show that you can take both your children and your great-grandparents to, should you be lucky enough to have both in your life, with everyone in attendance loving every second of it.
Of course, not everyone either has or wants kids, so you might well decide to just go along with your friends instead. Even if you want to go along on your own, you will be more than welcome. There are shows on at numerous different times throughout the production, meaning that you can opt to go to a matinee or an evening performance. There are even shows that are put on in a relaxed manner, aimed specifically at the likes of dementia patients or those with other conditions that mean the lights and noise of a normal show won’t be for them. In other words, the show is for everyone.