The Corn Exchange, Newbury |
Box office
01635 522733
The Corn Exchange, Newbury. Visitor information is
here.
Some performances may be at The Base, Communications Road, Greenham Business Park,
Greenham, RG19 6HN. Unless a specific location is given for a performance, it's
at the Corn Exchange.
Next
The Motive and the Cue, 22nd March
See
Theatre at the Cinema.
Little Shop of Horrors, 26th to 27th March
Two performances, two casts, we guarantee you’ll want to book twice! Don't miss these highly talented young performers singing and dancing their way through hit songs including
Skid Row and Suddenly Seymour, brought to you by students in full-time training; book now before you need to pay West End prices to see them!
Nye, 23rd April
See
Theatre at the Cinema.
The Importance of Being... Earnest?, 25th to 26th April
You might think you know this chaotic story of love, mistaken identity and double-lives, but you have never seen it like this before...
When a traditional production of Oscar Wilde’s classic play gets underway, everything seems to be going perfectly to plan… that is, until the lead actor fails to arrive on cue.
Filled with wicked Wildean wit and bursting with Bunburying, join us for a hilarious and unpredictable twist on the world’s favourite comedy classic.
Reviews of Beauty and the Beast
24th November to 31st December 2023
Review from the Newbury Weekly News.
High jinks in the shire
Panto just gets better: Beauty and the Beast at the Corn Exchange
The Corn Exchange has a huge festive hit with this year’s lavish pantomime Beauty and the Beast, once again written by the creative team of Plested, Brown and Wilsher who also inventively direct this superb show with style.
The highly-talented energetic cast are really excellent strong storytellers who embrace this pantomime with gusto and are determined that the audience should all have a great time… and we certainly did.
Set in ‘Newburyshire’ with an abundance of hilarious local references including Highclere Castle and the Kennet Centre, we meet the enthusiastic Fairy Common (Jade Johnson) driving her tractor and an ardent supporter of all things green.
Jenny Perry has a commanding stage presence as the wicked witch from Reading West who was thoroughly booed by the audience much to her delight.
Ratty and Batty are two rats who live in Highclere Castle, gloriously played by Lois Elizabeth Glenister and Robbie Noonan, who are a perfect comic duo. The audience loved their high jinks.
Returning for her second year to Newbury, Chloe Gentles shines as Belle, giving a stellar performance and singing beautifully. She meets the Prince, who has been turned into the Beast by the wicked witch and becomes trapped in his castle.
Nathan Shaw is most impressive as this misunderstood being and has a superb singing voice. But can Belle find a way to his heart?
Every panto needs a dame and Graham Mackay-Bruce, making his first foray in this role as Pansy Pocock, quickly develops a rapport with the audience. His outlandish costumes grow more and more bizarre at every change.
The hard working versatile ensemble of Abby Fell, Harry Warburton (making her stage debut) and Scott Hayward give excellent support.
There is so much to enjoy in this family friendly panto with lots of surprises including flying bed bugs, groan-making jokes, an exhausting hilarious rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas and oodles of audience participation.
Holly Hughes’ slick choreography is spot on and musical director Ben Barrow assisted by Luke Hinchcliffe provides the stirring music.
With spectacular costumes, sparkling sets and dramatic special effects this is not to be missed.
Go!
ROBIN STRAPP
There are reviews from WestEndBestFriend ("a good-looking show... plenty to appeal to the audience from the very young to their grandparents" - ★★★); Broadway World ("high-energy, gorgeous production... ten phenomenally talented performers... a proper, traditional pantomime... a huge amount of fun" - ★★★★★).
For more details
see the Corn Exchange web site at www.cornexchangenew.com.
Previous productions
Cinderella, 26th November 2021 to 2nd January 2022. See the review in the archive.
Aladdin, 3rd December 2020 to 3rd January 2021. See the review in the archive.
Sleeping Beauty, 29th November 2019 to 4th January 2020. See the review in the archive.
Great Expectations, 6th to 7th September 2019. See the review in the archive.
Jack and the Beanstalk, 30th November 2018 to 6th January 2019. See the reviews in the archive.. See the review in the archive.
Beauty and the Beast, 1st December 2017 to 7th January 2018. See the reviews in the archive.
Cinderella, 25th November to 31st December 2016. See the review in the archive.. See the review in the archive.
Dick Whittington, 27th November 2015 to 3rd January 2016. See the reviews in the archive.
Aladdin, 28th November 2014 to 4th January 2015. See the reviews in the archive.. See the review in the archive.
Jack and the Beanstalk, 29th November 2013 to 5th January 2014. See the reviews in the Archive.
Cinderella, 30th November 2012 to 6th January 2013. See the reviews in the Archive.