Beauty and the Beast on Adelaide stage
Disney’s enduring Beauty and the Beast is sprinkling magic on the stage of the Festival Theatre until July 6, as a reimagined version of the much-loved musical fuses new technology with the traditional tale.
A convoy of 26 semi-trailers bound for Adelaide rolled down the highway from Melbourne last month, meticulously packed with the makings of an elaborate magical castle reminiscent of 18th century France.
Since then, a small army has been working around the clock to unpack and assemble the set of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast the Musical, ready for the show to open this month.
First staged in Australia in 1995 starring Bert Newton and a young Hugh Jackman, the musical has been re-imagined, while remaining true to the enduring story of a girl who stumbles upon a castle, only to discover a witch’s curse has transformed its inhabitants into household items who are all under the rule of a love-starved prince-turned-beast.
This May, this production debuts in Adelaide, with a couple of local faces in the ensemble.
Among them is Nathan Stafford, who says covering the trio of roles of Cogsworth, Lumiere and Maurice is his career highlight so far having made his principal debut on the stage in Melbourne.
The former Trinity College student says trying on the elaborate costumes for Beauty and the Beast was a surreal experience.
“Growing up watching the films, I’ve always felt a strong connection to Disney stories,” Nathan says. “The magic, the adventure and the unforgettable characters have been a huge inspiration for me.
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“The dazzling costumes, elaborate sets and incredible special effects are things that need to be seen to be believed. It really is Disney magic, and it’s something you won’t want to miss.”
Beauty and the Beast marks performer Ambrielle Payne’s first professional production, though the former Golden Grove local began dancing in Adelaide at just three years old and studied at The Elder Conservatorium of Music.
Ambrielle, an ensemble member, says it’s such a special feeling stepping out on the stage eight times a week to perform.
“When you grow up dreaming of being in a Broadway-scale musical like this … to perform in the show each day is just utterly fulfilling,” she says. “Bringing the show to Adelaide is one of those full-circle moments.”
In previous years, Aladdin and Frozen have brought the Disney magic to Adelaide stages, and once again, their elaborate sets, costumes and choreography are set to light up the stage.
Working on both of those shows and overseeing Beauty and the Beast is the Australian director, Benjamin Osborne.
Benjamin’s role is to represent the global show’s director, Matt West, who choreographed the original production on Broadway in 1994 and, as well as directing this current iteration, has again choreographed it.
Hailing from Melbourne, Benjamin works with the cast here in Australia, maintaining Matt’s vision along the way, while Matt is hard at work launching the North American version.
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Benjamin fondly remembers the original version of the theatre show, and says they’ve introduced some special elements this time around, including the clever use of screens.
“I love the integration of the projection and screen work; we’ve really tried to bring the technology into today,” Benjamin says. “It transports you in a way that the original production maybe didn’t.”
The same goes for the costumes, which Benjamin says have benefitted from new ideas and fabrics.
“You get more of a sense of human in the costumes than you did originally and I love that because that’s what we’re trying to do – show people that these are humans trapped in these forms. The way they move is a lot more fluid than they once were.”
Benjamin’s favourite part of the show is Human Again in Act Two, in which the objects reminisce about who they once were.
The song was written for the animated film, but was left on the editing room floor and when the musical was written; it was picked up in the archives.
“The ensemble represents the objects’ ghosts of past, present and future and it’s choreographed in such a beautiful way; it’s uplifting and brilliant,” he says.
For Benjamin, much of the enduring legacy of this story stems from the initial reception – the 1991 film was the first full-length animated feature film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, where it won Best Original Score and Best Original Song.
“Belle was this strong-willed, stoic, educated woman. Those young girls who watched it back in 1991 have now grown into these incredible women who are running companies and living their best lives, and are stronger for seeing this wonderful female role.”
Beauty and the Beast is showing at the Festival Theatre from May 8 to June 29.
This article first appeared in the May 2025 issue of SALIFE magazine.
