Beauty and The Beast (Play)
“I will only marry you when I can put my hand on my heart and know that it is full of love”
There’s something rather wonderful about a classic. Fairytale’s tend to invoke a feeling of nostalgia in most people. Especially those who read them as a child. It takes us back to a bygone era, a time when ‘wishing upon a star’ was endearing rather than ridiculous. A white knight was the stuff of every young Childs dream. Magic was innocent, innocence was untouched and golden, beautiful, blissful and pure. But now we are older, cynical and less wide eyed and trusting. The songs of courtly love have faded long ago in the slipstreams of the distant past, but their sentiments in the shape and forms of fairytales, remain.
We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast, a young girl chooses of her own free will to take the place of her father in a castle run by a fearsome Beast. She is to be his bride, but our version tells a different tale, a tale where love has to be earned and not freely given. Love takes time and trust. And our Beauty chooses to take her time and uses it wisely. But time, for our Beast, is of the essence, there never seems to be enough of it. And time flies when you’re having fun. Maybe I wouldn’t call it ‘fun’. Because, well, he is cursed and… in a terrible mood most of the time… I think its that roar of his… bad first impression I must say.
However, our Beauty and the Beast aren’t the only ones to make up this menagerie of a play. You have first and foremost Beauty’s family. Who are.. a lot. It needs to be said that the saying really rings true ‘you can pick your friends but not your family’. So, her brothers are fine. Just fine, they like academics and war and sports… all the stereotypical things boys are supposed to like, then you have her sisters… yuck! A pair of vain, spiteful and selfish human beings. They care about one thing: money and hate one thing: Beauty. If anything this family doesn’t really add to the story, they are glitter amongst the pigeons. Next in this menagerie is a witch, and like every good fairytale every story must have its old crone. She is quite, always there, slinky and wise. She is the mistress of this realm for she is the one with all the knowledge, the magic, the mischief. Who else is best to guide Beauty on her journey to love the Beast?
It isn’t the best play I’ve ever read, nor is it the worst. It is sweet, charming and a good crowd pleaser. Perfect for children and adults alike. There is a reason why such tales as these have stood the test of time. It hard to retell a classic - why rewrite a hit? Is what they say, but as the world changes these stories must evolve with it even when placing the setting in the past, the present audience will judge it by present standards. So should you read this? No, you won’t gain or loose anything, but should you see it? Yes, because an escape into magic and wonder is what we all need right now.