Jingles the jester appears at the back of the theatre, runs down the aisle and we sense that there is a real treat in store. Expectations are soon confirmed and frequently exceeded.

Richard Ochampaugh plays Jingles, orchestrating the story with a range of attention-holding movements and judicious degrees of enthusiasm. A verse prologue gives the tale impressive dignity and the story rolls merrily along with intelligent and often irreverent humour, many clever theatrical touches, and some pleasant surprises. The ghost scene, as an example, is outstanding in its originality. Beauty’s dad, played by Jolyn Dixon, accidentally sits on a ghost. Claude the huge talking wardrobe is an immediate hit.

Whenever Helen Power appears as the enchantress, she dominates the stage. She makes sweeping, angled gestures. This is a striking creation, a real storybook enchantress. Children will remember her for a long time because this is how an enchantress should be.

Arnie Breen’s script, direction and artistic brio have given this production a marvellous foundation and the actors take it from there. Previous efforts from PMA Productions at this venue have been good and very good. This Beauty and the Beast is a formidable benchmark for the future.

Kevin Berry