Review; Beauty And The Beast, Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy

The Prince is turned into a monster and will stay that way until he finds true love...

Well, you know the story of course, it’s Beauty and The Beast, given the full riotous panto treatment at the Adam Smith Theatre.

It takes place 500 years after the prince was cursed in the village where the clever and bookish Belle lives with her father Hugh and a host of other characters including our panto dame, wait for it, Kimmy McKlinkie and her dim-witted son Cameron, as well as the super vain – and thoroughly unhygienic – Balloch Bennochy, who plans to take Belle for his wife.

Balloch tricks Hugh into entering the deep, dark forest where he takes the Beast’s food. Furious, the Beast demands that in return Hugh brings him the first living thing he encounters, which turns out to be...his daughter Belle.

Kimmy and Cameron try to rescue her but she is recaptured by the Beast once again to be trapped inside his castle forever.

Will Belle escape? Will the Beast ever find true love? And will Balloch Bennochy ever wash him armpits?

Among the many highlights of this year’s show is a quite superb skeleton dance scene and there are plenty of rousing song and dance routines to keep the audience involved.

Balloch Bennochy is a fantastically hammy baddie and the pairing of Kimmy and Cam make for an excellent double act. In truth it gets off to a slow start and a few of the deliberately poor jokes fell completely flat, but these are merely niggles – overall it is a thoroughly enjoyable show.

But be warned if you are going along (which you should), there’s a chance you might end up a bit wet!

Until January 5.