Black Beauty at Lakeside Arts
Suitable for 6+
90 minutes including interval
Tickets from £8.50
This past weekend I took my 10-year-old daughter to see Black Beauty at Lakeside Arts at Nottingham University. I expected the traditional Black Beauty story and wondered how on earth they were going to portray this magnificent icon from my childhood on the small stage. My daughter has read the book. We thought we knew what to expect. A real heartwarming tear jerker.
Black Beauty was NOTHING like we expected it to be.
A room full of grandparents and their pony mad grandaughters age 6-12 ish all looked a bit shocked too.
This is a unique retelling of an absolute classic and I have to say I thought it was marvellous. The McCuddy brothers are a pantomime horse, Hamish, and they have fallen on hard times. They miss their mum too and she as well as give them good life advice she also used to tell them the story of Black Beauty. To cheer themselves up they decide to retell it in their own quirky style. Black Beauty is depicted as boot and then a handbag!
It’s funny, irreverent, slightly bonkers and absolutely heartwarming. This play has some really poignant moments and mile a minute laughs. You end up caring so much about the fortune of these fabulous brothers.
The play contains just the two actors but a myriad of characters. It is delightfully done, part pantomime and absolutely full of giggles, The close relationship between the brothers is beautifully portrayed. The ending made us want to cheer out loud.
Team Hamish all the way.
A delight and at a bargain price (traditional pantomimes can be SO expensive.)
Thumbs up from us!
You can book your tickets here
