First look at Beauty & the Beast at Sunderland Empire and what to expect from the panto

The scene is set in Pallion, France, or PalLyon to give it its Gallic pronunciation.

There, we meet the Beauty & the Beast cast, as they bring some festive slapstick to the classic tale.

They've become Empire stalwarts and Miss Rory and Tom Whalley are back with a bang as mam and son duo, Rorina La Plonk and Louis La Plonk.

The crème de la crème of panto dames, Miss Rory cuts a dash with her razor sharp wit and frocks, ranging from a European Union dress, to a La Greggs number and even a Wonder Woman outfit - 7ft (in heels) of pure glamour.

The tongue-in-cheek one liners come thick and fast with spot-on delivery from this grand dame.

At her side, Tom as Louis is lovably daft as a brush. His physical acting and comic timing is pure panto gold and he's a total hit with the bairns with them screaming "Oui Oui Louis" at piercing decibel levels as soon as soon as he runs on stage with his signature "alreeet".

He's a natural at entertaining and he's brilliant when he gets the 'bairns' on stage, always an unpredictable bit of theatre but he's got a brilliant rapport with the young members of the audience - and the young at heart.

And listen out Caerphilly for his cheese song, which is 'grate' stuff.

Mam and son really shine in the ghost scene, too. A tried and tested panto trope, but they manage to make it feel fresh.

This year's star billing is Charlie Hardwick, from Emmerdale, Ackley Bridge, and more, as Fairy Bon Bon who delivers some impressive rhyming couplets throughout the show.

She's a charming and warm fairy godmother figure and it's great to hear a North East twang from the headliner.

Olivia Birchenough from Channel 5's Milkshake plays a sweet yet gutsy Belle as we see her love for The Beast blossom.

And what a Beast he is!

Samuel Wyn-Morris brings West End levels of talent to the stage as the camera shy beast. At times it feels like you're watching the Disney musical version of the tale with his rich tone and incredible projection. There's also a hint of Phantom of the Opera about his beast, which really elevates the panto.

Belle's dad, Clement, played by Marcus Knibbs, also has impressive acting skills, which isn't always a given in panto.

I also loved George Olney's Hugo Pompidou, a moonwalking Teddy Boy interpretation of Gaston who delivers a great Don't Cha / Simply The Best mash up with the lines - "Don't cha wish your boyfriend was French like me. Don't cha wish your boyfriend was hench like me." Brilliant.

This year's young dancers, the Baby Belles, are from The Kathleen Davis Stage School and Shameem Karim School of Performing Arts who put on an energetic display alongside the professional ensemble.

There's plenty of chart topper tracks in there, including Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, I Am Your Mother by Meghan Trainor, Love Story by Taylor Swift, Trustfall by Pink and Padom Padom by Kylie Minogue as well as a signed version of Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.

Staging-wise, it's a great looking set, with a snazzy shimmering fretwork that frames the stage, classy costumes and some of the action happening in the slippers at the side of the stage which helps to make the show all the more immersive.

*Beauty & The Beast is at Sunderland Empire until Sunday, December 31. Tickets from www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire/

Running time is approximately 2.5hours, with a 20 minute interval.

*Next year's panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, has already been announced with Miss Rory and Tom Whalley, with more names to be be announced. It's running from December 13, 2024 to January 5, 2025, with tickets on sale from December 14, 2023.