In 2017, Wexford Pantomime Society brought a fresh twist to a timeless tale with Beauty and the Beast – The Panto! Inspired by Madame Leprince de Beaumont’s 1757 classic, this wasn’t the Disney version – so there were no singing teapots or talking clocks – just pure panto magic, local laughs, and a few surprises along the way.

Our story began in a small French village where Belle, a kind and clever dreamer, lived with her eccentric inventor father Bertram and her delightfully vain sisters, Belinda and Bettina. Her loyal pal Billy provided plenty of comic chaos, while Bertram prepared for the village Inventors’ Festival – much to the irritation of the pompous Baron Barnaby Badass and his equally dreadful wife Baroness Beatrice. When Bertram’s invention wins top prize, the scheming pair vow revenge.

On his way to the national competition, Bertram becomes lost – thanks to the Baron’s latest disguise as a very questionable Fairy Godmother – and finds himself at the mysterious Beast’s castle, tended by the comedic gardeners Jock and Jessie and the weary butler Marcel. When Bertram plucks a single rose for Belle, as he promised her, the fearsome Beast appears and demands a prisoner in return.

Ever the brave heroine, Belle takes her father’s place, entering the enchanted castle as Act One ends. By Act Two, time has passed and friendship blossoms between Belle and the Beast. The castle’s servants look on in hope as the Beast plans to confess his love. But Belle longs for home, and in a rare act of kindness, the Beast lets her go.

Meanwhile, the dastardly Baron and Baroness plot to storm the castle and claim its riches. They trick Bertram and the others into leading them straight to the Beast’s door – setting up a final showdown filled with laughter, chaos, and plenty of panto sparkle.

Will true love break the curse? Will Belle’s bravery save the day? And will the Beast ever get that long-awaited happy ending? The 2017 production of Beauty and the Beast – The Panto delivered it all – big laughs, bigger hearts, and that unmistakable Wexford Panto magic that keeps audiences coming back every year.

Photography by Paula Malone Carty