Beauty And The Beast cast revealed

The Dukes in Lancaster have announced the full cast for their adaptation of the beloved fairy tale, as part of the theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations, with the show running from December 9 to 31.

As Lancashire’s only producing theatre, The Dukes has welcomed the likes of Dame Harriet Walter, Gloria Grahame, Andy Serkis and most recently, Sir Ian McKellen.

It is so wonderful to be celebrating the Dukes 50th Birthday.

Karen O’Neill

The cast of Beauty And the Beast include Tarek Slater as Beast, Radio presenter Declan Wilson as Lionel and the role of Mum will be played by Crewe – who has starred in the BBC’s Line Of Duty, Doctors and Waterloo Road.

Ida Regan will be making her professional theatrical debut in the role of Bella after graduating from Manchester School of Theatre in 2020.

Lisa Howard, who is the Gardener in the production, returns to The Dukes after previously appearing in their productions of Grimm Tales, Pinocchio, Jason And The Argonauts, Robin Hood and Ladies That Bus.

Co-writer of the production Sarah Punshon previously collaborated on The Dukes’ highly acclaimed production of Cinderella: A Fairytale and Sleeping Beauty.

The Dukes’ chief executive Karen O’Neill said: “It is so wonderful to be celebrating the Dukes’ 50th Birthday.

“This is a milestone year for the Dukes and we are so pleased to be sharing it with our team, volunteers, audiences, artists and community.

“The Dukes has been at the heart of Lancaster since 1971 as both a theatre and independent cinema and has achieved so much since then.

“We are so proud of the Dukes’ legacy and thank everyone who has been part of the journey so far. Here’s to the next 50 years!”

Since opening their doors in 1971, The Dukes has been committed to placing arts and culture at the heart of the Lancashire and Lancaster City region.

In 2016, The Dukes won the UK Theatre Award for Best Show for Children and Young People. The theatre won the NW Cultural Education Award in 2017 and a year later they scooped the NW Creative Careers Champion Award.