Johannesburg’s Peoples Theatre presents phenomenal Beauty and the Beast
BRAAMFONTEIN – The story has had many incarnations, but its many messages, most notably to not judge a book by its cover, remain constant.
The Johannesburg Peoples Theatre in Braamfontein will be bringing the pages of Beauty and the Beast to life when it stages the production from 29 October to 23 December.
Directed by Jill Girard and Keith Smith, the fairytale was originally written by French author Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve.
The tale of La Belle et la Bete was published in 1740 and later condensed and rewritten by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. This version, published in 1756, was followed, in 1889, by Andrew Lang’s take on the story and according to Wikipedia, Lang’s version is the one most commonly retold.
The tale revolves around a cruel young prince who is turned into a hideous beast by an enchantress. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose.
The tale of Beauty and the Beast has had many incarnations, but its many messages, most notably to not judge a book by its cover, remain constant.
“It is these educational messages that the cast of the production will bring to life to delight young audiences in the coming months,” said Girard and Smith, adding that their intention is also to inculcate a love of reading in children.
Beauty and the Beast’s cast features Masego Mothibakgomo as Belle, Jonathan Blaine Shore who stars as the Beast, Alida Senekal as Mrs Potts and Travis Hornsby who plays Gaston.
Details: info@buz.co.za
