La Belle et la Bête

The Broadway musical has arrived in Paris ­– it’s now in French, but has more than enough oomph to carry Anglophone viewers through. The voice of Catherine Deneuve kicks things off with ‘Il était une fois…’ (‘Once upon a time…’), leading the audience into an agreeably fantastical, Disney-inspired spectacle of fairy-tale stage sets and imaginative costumes. If the main characters lack enough dramatic range to really engage, their sidekicks steal the show, full of panache and humour.