With a nine-year-old daughter in my house, Beauty and the Beast is a story I am truly familiar with. Over the years, I have read the book, watched the original animated movie, you-tubed extracts from the Broadway show and earlier this year went to see the latest movie version of it, starring Emma Watson.
Going to the opening night of Hawera Repertory's latest production, Beauty and the Beast, last week therefore I wasn't expecting to discover anything new, but rather to sit back (with my fellow critic, the aforementioned nine-year-old) and enjoy "a tale as old as time" to quote the lyrics of one of the songs from the musical.
The story may not have been new, but under Samantha Turner's direction, the cast and crew have created something more than just a re-telling of a tale, and they take their audience on a truly enchanting journey throughout the show.
Featuring music by Alan Menken with lyrics by Tim Rice and Howard Ashman, along with some absolutely amazing costumes from Weta Workshop, the bar is set high for the actors from the outset.
Performances that, at times, transport you to London's West End or New York's Broadway.
Luckily for the audience, not only do they meet it but at times they exceed it, giving performances that, at times, transport you to London's West End or New York's Broadway.
It helps that the show takes place on the Hawera Memorial Theatre stage, which along with glossy programmes and smartly dressed ushers, all adds to the magic of live theatre, from the very moment you enter and take your seat.
Kirsty Bourke's choreography of the show is excellent, and her skill in creating movement patterns for wardrobes and feather dusters as well as the more usual "human" characters in the show is commendable.