Beauty and the Beast a Horny Love Story-Charing Cross Theatre.

Charing Cross Theatre is renowned for its festive queer adult seasonal Pantomime. Beauty and the Beast a Horny Love Story is an excellent festive adult treat for 2025 by Jon Bradfield and Martin Hooper.

Nestled in the small Northern Scottish village of Lickmanochers. Single mother and entrepreneur business owner Flora played by Matthew Baldwin has her hands full with her adult twins Bonnie (Laura Anna-Mead) and Bertie (Matt Kennedy) both have “come out” yet Flora has a supposed closer relationship with Bertie and sidelines the hard-working Bonnie far too often, yet without her the business would fold.

Flora has a great range of costumes, the blue and white china tea set is stunning and I was in awe of Baldwin‘s balancing skills with the precarious-looking teapot on her head. Whatever wardrobe was created for Baldwin it was worn with style.

Robert Draper created an incredible range of costumes from the Flora’s Pantomime Dame range of colourful costumes, the Beasts suit and a special mention goes to the Australian cape worn by Juno (Dani Mirels) complete with the Sydney Opera House shoulder pads.

Director Andrew Beckett has brought together a brilliant cast who have a fantastic rapport on stage for the years Charing Cross’s adult-only Pantomime. Full of adult-based humour with a fabulous colourful set full of festive cheer. The cast appear to be having as much fun as the audience and as with all Pantomimes, you never know if a “fluffed line” is actually part of the script and is expertly delivered.

Although the cast of nine is small for a Pantomime you still feel like you have watched a full-scale production. The four ensemble cast members play a range of characters throughout. The ghosts in the Beasts’ haunted castle are very funny.