The students of Birmingham Ormiston Academy never fail to impress with their Christmas show at the city’s Old Rep Theatre and never more so than this year’s Beauty and the Beast.

Created by a professional team of writer Toby Hulse, composer Steve Allan Jones and director Alec Fellows-Bennett, all the cast and many of the backstage team are students, developing their stage skills before a live audience.

The team have given us a Beauty and the Beast with a message – is appearance all it is cracked up to be or does how we behave and who we are matter more than how we look? Beginning with a group of school pupils on Christmas Jumper Day, we see the five ‘Perfects’ who believe appearance rules supreme and then meet the three misfits who are less sartorially conventional.

There is a wry look at social media and need to be ‘liked’ and ‘followed’ plus the never-ending obsession with capturing every single moment for your fans, ensuring this fairy tale has a very modern angle.

Then it is into the story of Beauty and the Beast. Mabel Edwards shines as Belle, a girl who believes you should do good, follow your heart and be true. But her Belle is no goody-two-shoes, she’s feisty, prepared to stand up for what she believes in and to fall in love – even with a beast.

Cameron Dews’ Beast is more gentle and caring than we may have seen in other productions, underlying the message that ugliness comes from the soul not the face.

There are some great comic turns not least from Max Coleman as Belle’s would-be suitor Avenant. A man so vain he believes every woman will fall at his feet, Coleman has some great lines and plays up to the part with hip-thrusting enthusiasm.

And from Luca-James Tweddle as Bougeoir and Molly Russell as Plumeau, a couple crazy for each other but, being a candlestick and a feather duster, unable to physically touch. Their constant cravings may have a touch of the ‘Allo ‘Allo! about them but they are incredibly funny.

Leanne Fitchett’s costumes are packed full of imagination, particularly for the Beast and his entourage of furniture-turned-people.

Toby Hulse has crafted a clever story around the traditional fairy tale, ensuring plenty of parts for the students and lots of material for audiences to ponder while Steve Allan Jones has written a series of catchy songs which will stay in your head on the way home.

However the sound team do need to look at the sound levels because at the press performance the music frequently drowned out the singers particularly on the solos. This is a real pity as the students are clearly very talented and it is a shame we didn’t get to hear them in full voice.

Beauty and the Beast is giving the stars of the future valuable theatre experience performing in front of paying audiences but it is also ensuring those paying audiences are being given a fun show which brings a classic fairy tale up to date.

Note: Beauty and the Beast has four casts and the cast referred to here performed between 18-26 November.

Four stars

Reviewed by Diane Parkes at The Old Rep on Saturday 26 November where the show continues to play until Friday 16 December